


Soulbenders

by PaddlingTheCanoe



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, I follow canon but change things to fit the soulmate au, M/M, Oh, Romantic Soulmates, Slow Burn, Sokka-centric, Soulmates, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, and Sokka is a firebender, but Sokka is a little more angsty than canon, finally..., not beta read but I tried to proofread, soulbenders, soulbending, spirit world ex-machina, this has a happy ending im just gonna say that up front, wow ive never written slow burn but im 10k into my WIP and they still hate each other so...
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:40:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 64,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25501525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaddlingTheCanoe/pseuds/PaddlingTheCanoe
Summary: Soulmate AU with a different spin. Soulbenders are born when a soul is split in two and reincarnated into two bodies. These soulbenders are called "soulmates," and together they wield immense bending power in their given element. (Lore is more thoroughly explained in Chapter 1 - The Prologue.) Featuring slow burn, light angst (in the form of self-loathing and canon character death), firebender Sokka, and Feelings.This story is told mostly alongside canon. I just change some things as we go to make it more shippy/make the soulbender stuff more important to the overall story. This is a WIP. I intend to post weekly until I finish the remaining chapters. I am posting to keep me accountable for finishing it.Thank you for taking the time to read at least this summary, if not my fic. Have a great day, and you are loved.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), some background relationships - Relationship
Comments: 94
Kudos: 414





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for clicking on this! First things first, I want to acknowledge that a major inspiration for the tone of this fic is the as of yet unfinished (much to my despair) "Window to the Soul" series by Sarsparilla Sparrow (I don't know how to link things, sorry). I loved the soulmate eyes aesthetic and the Sokka dynamics. You should go read the series and encourage its completion! (For me, please.)
> 
> Chapter 1 is mostly the lore and is not the main style for the rest of the fic, which with be third person POV with a focus on Sokka. I just wanted to get a lot of the exposition out of the way and set up the tone for this. I mean, I kinda love exposition dumping because I'm a DM/GM and worldbuilding is my literal favorite thing in the whole world, so there will be more later, but I try to break it up haha. You will also see that I tweaked a lot of timeline stuff for reasons that will be apparent later, but Ozai starts this as the Fire Lord already. I'll upload chapter 2 today as well so you can get a sense of what the rest of the fic will be like.
> 
> The intention with this (and how the next four finished chapters go) is to kinda go alongside canon just changing things as necessary for my AU. There will be some episodes I skip because I didn't have any compelling ideas, and there will be some episodes just kinda touched on with like a missing scene or a slightly changed moment. I honestly thought I would speed through it to get to the Zukka, but I'm having a great time with all the other stuff so it will be a bit longer, my first slow burn! Woohoo! 
> 
> Oh, as I side note, the avatar I refer to in the lore is purposely referred to with they/them pronouns. Gotta throw a little representation of my gender orientation somewhere lol.
> 
> Anyway, let me know what you think of the AU down in the comments!

“Many millennia ago, in a time much like our own, the avatar abandoned their people. Imbalance in the spirit world grew as its keeper stood idly by, enjoying the finer things our world has to offer. The avatar amassed wealth, property, servants. They grew to be very fond of a serving girl named Zhiji. The avatar trained with the girl, though she knew no bending nor had any remarkable talent for the sword. Zhiji would listen to their stories, to the great heroism found within, and she grew in wisdom. She saw past the foolish pride of the avatar and realized just how much the world needed them to be continuing in their duties. As she grew into a young woman and the avatar aged, she gradually lost hope that the avatar would ever restore peace and balance to the world. So Zhiji decided she had to do so herself. 

The young, inexperienced warrior challenged a great beast that had crossed into our world from the land of the spirits. It tormented souls by tearing them in two, destroying any chance they could find peace in reincarnation or the afterlife. The avatar heard too late what Zhiji was doing and rushed to save her from the beast, but they came only in time to see the crumpled body of Zhiji upon the bloodstained ground. The avatar flew into a rage and destroyed the beast, bringing balance once again. They crossed into the spirit world and spent many moons searching for the two halves of their lost friend. Eventually, they did manage to find the two halves of Zhiji’s soul, but no amount of bending could piece them together. The avatar held the split soul of their best friend and sobbed.

The avatar’s tears attracted a great and kind spirit whose name has been lost to time. The kind spirit realized what had happened when it saw the soul of Zhiji. When the avatar sensed the power of the spirit, they immediately asked it for help. The spirit was moved by the anguish in the avatar’s heart, the resolve to change the world because their actions had directly led to the death of this innocent. 

The kind spirit told the avatar that no being was powerful enough to mend a broken soul back into its original form, but it could help Zhiji find peace in another way. Taking the tears from each of the avatar’s eyes, the kind spirit used the tears to fill in the shattered edges of Zhiji’s soul until each half looked whole unto itself. The two souls were not Zhiji, not as she was, but together they could be something like the warrior she wanted to be. 

All this was explained to the avatar. The two spirits would be reborn into the world as their own people, but they would find each other. Through a special type of bending, soulbending, they would be able to become one being with two bodies. Because of Zhiji’s bravery, the souls would be imbued with great power. Their soulbending, together, would be the only thing powerful enough mend Zhiji’s spirit and send it on to the afterlife. Zhiji had been from the Southern Water Tribe, so the soulbenders would be the most powerful waterbenders in the world, when they worked as one. 

Such is the great legacy of the Southern Water Tribe. From us, the first two-from-one spirits were born, the first soulmates. While the kind spirit has continued its work scarcely over the millennia, it has always blessed the Southern Water Tribe with one half of the soulmate pair. We have been home to waterbenders, yes, but through our great soulbenders, we have been home to airbenders, earthbenders, and even firebenders. It has been over 400 years since the last soulbender was born to this tribe, but that day has finally come again.

This small child, but a babe, bears the mark of a soulbender. As the kind spirit took tears from both the avatar’s eyes to make the new half of Zhiji’s soul, so does this child have one eye the color of tears, a color not unfamiliar to us of the tribe. But, the child also bears an eye the color of amber, of the sun hanging low over the horizon, glinting off the icecaps and fresh snow. These eyes will guide this child of our tribe to his soulmate, to his fellow soulbender, and together they will do great good in our world. In a time when the avatar is gone, when the night is dark, we can only hope these two souls, born of one, will be the ones to save us from our nightmares. 

Tonight we name this child of the Southern Water Tribe, born of Chief Hakoda and his wife, Kya. Under the light of the full moon we have asked for the proper name of such a child as this one, one with a path so far beyond what we can understand. La has answered us, and his name shall be ‘Sokka,’ because while we cannot, he will understand his destiny.”

Kya looked down at her baby boy as he slumbered peacefully in her arms. She did not look up at the elders, or her husband, or at Tui. Her eyes were only for her son. She felt such immense pride at the miracle of who this boy, who Sokka, would become, but she also knew such a destiny would bring so much pain as well. 

Hakoda shifted, putting a hand on his wife’s shoulder. She looked up, startled for a moment. The rest of the tribe was in the process of making their way over to the couple, congratulating them on their good fortune and placing their hands on the child’s head one by one, as if for good luck themselves. Once everyone went back to their homes, Kya got to her feet, carefully balancing Sokka in her arms. 

She followed Hakoda slowly as they went back to their igloo. He entered ahead of her to get the fire going, to help prepare the furs for the night. It was bitter cold, but Kya felt strangely warm. Something stirred inside her, a flutter that seemed more an emotion than an actual feeling. Her mind flitted back to the night she had with Hakoda just the night before, the first night in a long while where Sokka had let them sleep. Or… not sleep. Kya blushed at the thought, watching her husband’s broad back as he tended to the fire. 

Kya was happy. So unbelievably happy. Happier than she had been since marrying Hakoda. She looked down at her baby and imagined another mother, somewhere out in the world, looking at her own child and feeling that same burst of happiness. She felt kindred with this mother in a way she could not describe. Their children were of one soul. 

Sokka opened his eyes sleepily and cooed softly. Kya chuckled. She knew Sokka’s little faces and noises near perfectly now. Hakoda got into bed beside her and wrapped his arm around Kya’s thin but strong shoulders. Kya knew her husband was just as proud of their son as she was. She imagined that other couple, that mother and father somewhere out in the world again, and fell into a deep sleep, her son still held closely to her chest.

—————

Ursa clutched Zuko to her chest as Ozai entered her chambers unannounced. She had not known he would be visiting her this evening, with all the business about being the new Fire Lord. She wanted to delay this moment as long as possible, but it looked like Agni did not smile upon her this day.

Ozai crossed over to her teapot and warmed it with his fire, pouring himself a cup. He spoke not a word. Trying to buy more time, Ursa undid the front of her robe for the pretense of feeding her son. Maybe Ozai would become bored and come back another day.

Rather than leaving, the new Fire Lord sat in one of the plush chairs across from Ursa, nearest the fire. The flames brought the lines of his face into stark relief, harsh lines that she saw in her son, but softened by the roundness of his cheeks. 

“How is my son?” Ozai eventually asked, ever tactful. Ursa fought the urge to roll her eyes. She would have, only a few years before. Back when Ozai still plied her with soft words and smiles. When she thought she might be able to fall in love with him.

“Zuko is well. He is a sleepy child, but the midwife says that is a good indication. He is spending all his energy on growing strong,” Ursa was shocked at how calm she sounded. Admittedly, she had practiced this conversation in her head for months now, but she never thought she would be able to make it through under her husband's scrutinizing gaze. 

“The announcements have all been sent. It was quite helpful to smooth out the change of power, the generals all knowing a healthy heir was already in place.”

Ursa gritted her teeth. She hated her son being described like a political pawn. Ozai might not have sired him out of love, but Ursa would be damned if she would view her son that way. She did feel the slightest sense of relief, though. Her plan, spirits be kind, was working. Ozai would not be able to backtrack on what he had announced to all the generals at this point. He would have told the council, too, though he did not mention it. Soon it would be palace gossip, then national gossip. It was beyond him now.

“That is quite good, husband. I am glad we were able to aid in your transition,” Ursa was polite, distant.

“You must be done by now. I am ready to finally greet my heir.” Ozai motioned to Ursa’s chest, and Ursa knew she could not prolong this any further. She lay Zuko carefully on her legs as she fastened her robes, then took him carefully over to his father. Ursa held the boy for Ozai to see his peaceful face, and the Fire Lord made no move to take the baby from his wife.

In the moment Ursa had been dreading since giving birth to Zuko alone in her bed, Zuko opened his eyes. 

Ozai sucked in a sharp breath, and his eyes flashed with a familiar but no less terrifying anger. Ursa pulled Zuko close again and fell back toward the fire as Ozai stood, barely avoiding the flames. The heat made her face ache but she did not shrink back toward her husband, who summoned his own ball of fire into his hand.

“Agni! Ursa, you know what that thing is?”

“He is your son, Ozai! Your son!”

“You know he is not meant to be only my son. He will be drawn to a restoration of balance that will destroy all the Fire Nation has sought to build. And he will have the power to do so, to defeat even me. I cannot allow it, Ursa!”

“You announced it! All the generals know, the council, the whole of Caldera City and probably the nation by now. It is too late to say he was never born or that something happened. It would shame you, so soon after assuming power.”

“Curse you, woman!” Ozai flung his ball of fire toward Ursa’s bed, lighting the bedding aflame. He kept his back turned to her. Then, chillingly, “I can find another baby, Ursa.”

Her stomach fell through the floor. She had not expected Ozai to stoop so low. She was a fool to think he still had any shred of humanity left within him. Ursa scrambled desperately for a response, and she realized the only path forward for her son would be to sacrifice another. She prayed the spirits would forgive her.

“Ozai, his soulmate is from the Southern Water Tribe, right? The tribe is dwindling, only a few settlements remain? Let it die. Continue as you have been. Let this other child perish with the tribe and you will never have to worry about Zuko’s destiny. If the tribe lingers longer than anticipated, send in your troops looking for the child. They will have eyes just like Zuko’s, they should not be hard to find. Kill them. If you do that, Zuko will never be drawn to that path. He will still be stronger than almost any other firebender, but his power will bring you glory, not fear. He will be the soulbender that spit on the spirits in favor of the Fire Nation. He will go down in history as the proof that the Fire Nation conquered even the spirit world’s magics. And you will forever be remembered as the father of this child, the father that was so much bigger than destiny. Don’t you see? All you need to do is kill one child, and you will bring the Fire Nation a glory it has never known and may never know again! Don’t you see it?” Ursa was almost crying now. Guilt punched into her gut with a force that winded her speech, making her sound exhausted and in pain. Ozai stayed terribly still in front of her.

“You know I married you for your beauty, Ursa? My father told me I could have the pick of you, your sisters, your cousins. Anyone from your bloodline. You were the prettiest. That was the only reason, or so I thought. Now I see what was underneath that beauty all that time,” Ozai turned to face her, and Ursa saw the thin, mocking smirk slashed across his features like a scar. “You and I are more alike than I thought. I thought you were soft, like most women are, and in many ways that is true. But you also have that edge to you. You will do whatever it takes to protect what you care about. Whatever it takes. Even convincing me to kill a different child, or commit a genocide, whatever comes first. I can respect that in you. Not your tears or love, but the dedication. You must realize how alike we are. You know what I care about is not children but power, power and my legacy. And you managed to promise me one of the greatest legacy’s I could ever have dreamed of. You are such a conniving, manipulative woman, but you are right. You are entirely right. And if this boy does not live up to your promises, I can always deal with it later. Thank you for that insight. Make sure he does not disappoint me too soon.”

And with that, Ozai left Ursa, the woman sobbing, clutching her baby to her chest and thinking with great grief about the family, somewhere across the world, that she betrayed.

—————

“There is no two-from-one spirit here,” Kya managed to keep her voice from shaking as she confronted the Fire Nation officer.

“I will have you know I received information that the child is in this village from a very reliable source. If you do not tell me where the child is, I will be forced to… check the children one by one. But you see, my men and I, we are not that fond of children. We aren’t very… careful with them,” the man grinned a sickly grin.

Kya begged Tui for strength, “The two-from-one spirit was my child. A few months ago, they were walking along the ice shelf with the other children and fell through a thin part of the ice. We were unable to save them. I grieve,” emotion filled Kya’s eyes, helping convince the soldier. The story was only partially a lie. Her dear friend’s daughter had been the one to perish those months before. She felt the grief as if it was her own child. She prayed it would be enough.

“Please, sir, there is no body to show you, the child swims with La now. If you do not believe me, take me prisoner and bring me to your higher officers. Torture me, and you will hear nothing but the truth I have told you.”

The soldier considered her for a moment, “Believe it or not, woman, but I believe you. You see though, I have that higher officer back on my ship, and he expects me to come back with blood on my blade.”

The grin returned, and Kya had just a moment to realize what was happening before she felt a flash of pain through her body. Vaguely, she saw the glint of metal before her, dulled by a slick of red on the blade. 

“There, that’s better. Don’t worry, I’ll tell them the truth, the child is dead. I just need to eliminate anyone that might go telling the other soldiers that it wasn’t me that killed it. I think the rest of your people will clam up tight now. Good bye.”

Kya’s vision grew more dim as she watched the boots of the Fire Nation soldier leave her vision. When had she fallen to the ground? She could see the blood around her, thickening quickly as it seeped over the packed snow. She was not long for this world, Tui and La protect her family.

A figure rushed into her vision, blurred beyond recognition. What she did recognize was the feel of those hands on her shoulders, one large palm going to cover her wound. The deep, broken voice, “Kya, Kya hold on, my love. Hold on, don’t go. Spirits damn you don’t take her, please!” Hakoda’s tears fell onto Kya’s face. She could not hold her head towards his anymore. It lolled to the side, toward the entrance to their igloo. 

Kya’s eyes widened with an unearthly clarity as they met the eyes of her son. 

“Don’t-“ Kya croaked. _Don’t let them see_ , she wanted to beg. _Don’t let my children see this, don’t let them see their mother die. Don’t let that happen to them._

Sokka’s eyes were focused on Kya’s, and Kya saw little Katara peer from around her brother’s slightly bigger frame. She felt her own tears join Hakoda’s. 

“Don’t-“ she wanted to scream, but it came out barely a breath. _Don’t watch. Please, spirits please, don’t watch._

Kya took in the sight of her two precious children and felt a swell of pride through her fatigue as Sokka grabbed Katara and spun her around, spun them both around from the sight in front of them. Peace settled into the heaviness of Kya’s bones. She let herself sink into the warm, tight embrace of her husband, listened to the hitched pants of his breath. 

And slipped away. 

—————

“Zuko, please, my love, listen to me. Everything I’ve done, I’ve done to protect you. Remember this, Zuko, no matter how things may seem to change, never forget who you are. Who you really are. And if your destiny is out there, chase it, and forgive me.”

Zuko jolted awake from the dream - no - memory in a dream. He immediately wished for unconsciousness again. The left side of his face ached with an impossible to describe pain, a pain that went deeper than his body into his very soul. Blearily, he recognized the figure of his uncle above him, worried face made to look older in the swaying candlelight. Was he on a boat? Iroh reached out his hand toward Zuko’s injured face, and Zuko jolted as another memory invaded his mind.

“Please, father, I do not want to fight you! Please!” The boy begged. Ozai’s smirk turned wicked before him, the crowd hushed. Ozai walked forward and bent low over his kneeling son, so only the boy might hear.

“Your mother assured me you would be strong enough to fight the pull of the damned spirits, but it turns out you are just as weak as I thought. I should have killed you the moment I knew you were destined to be nothing but filth. If you can prove to me that you have conquered this… this urge inside you. Maybe I will be able to stand to see your face again. But as of now…” the burning began, “as of now I think I would rather purge your putrid destiny from you right now.”

When Zuko became aware again, he was sobbing, but no tears came from his left eye. His blue eye. Iroh rocked him until the boy pushed him away roughly.

“How am I going to fix this, uncle?” Zuko growled. Iroh’s brow creased even further.

“Zuko…”

“My soulmate is dead. Father told me. There is no way to prove my loyalty.”

“Zuko, you should not have to-“

“Ah!” Zuko’s eyes widened, an idea took root in his mind, but not like a flower or tree; it took root like a weed. “The avatar!”

“The avatar has been missing for nearly 115 years…”

“I will find him! I will bring him to my father. Soulbenders have always been compatriots of the avatar. If I can bring him to my father, then there is no way my loyalty can be doubted. I will restore my honor.”

Iroh saw a look in the boy’s face that reminded him too much of his brother. There would be no use trying to pluck this idea from Zuko’s head. 

“Zuko, I hope you know your plan is foolish, but I will stand beside you until the end.”

“I’ll show you who is a fool when I bring the avatar to my father. I will not fail.”

Iroh sighed, deeply and resigned. Beneath the sleeve of his robe, he rubbed the smooth grooves of his favorite Pai Sho tile. As he turned to leave his nephew alone in his cabin, he muttered a quiet prayer to the kind spirit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Sorry that got a bit angsty. Canon made me do it! 
> 
> Something fun lore-wise: I typed "soulmate" into Google Translate to see what came up, and phonetically it was spelled something like "Zhiji," so that was the inspiration for that name! I know Google Translate is not the most reliable, but it is what I got lol. Also, I looked up "Sokka" to see if it meant anything, and there were a lot of different results, but one source said it could mean "one who understands" and accurate or not I really liked that idea, so that is why the elders say what they do about his name.
> 
> Let me know what you think!


	2. The Avatar Returns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place during "The Avatar Returns"

Black snow fell over the white landscape. Sokka fought the pit of dread his stomach had fallen into. It had been a strange few days. The boy in the ice, the booby trap, the inevitable defeat his village would face at the hands of the same troops that had killed his mom. Sokka knew he could not protect his people, not alone, but he intended to die trying. A warrior’s death. Screw the spirits. Screw destiny. Sokka would go out on his own terms.

The spirits were sure to have abandoned him anyway. He waited, year after year, for the promised bending to come. It never did. He was not a soulbender. Not meant for anything great. He was a kid with a physical quirk that his tribe’s superstitions built into something he could never live up to. 

And now he would die for them. Crush their dreams of his brighter future but hey, at least it would be honorable. 

Sokka finished the last lines of his war paint and grabbed his boomerang, his spear. He thought maybe he could take down three, four of the Fire Nation grunts that came off the battleship if he was lucky. Sokka’s feet moved without active thought. They led him to the wall of his village.

The ship broke through.

The young watertribesman had to dive out of the way. He wound up partially buried in snow and broken ice, but he pushed himself up and took a ready stance once again. The rest of his village was behind him. Ready to watch him die. 

The gangplank lowered, and the first fire nation soldiers Sokka had seen since his mother was murdered came into view. Something inexplicable tightened in his chest; it felt like someone had their hand around his heart and squeezed. The feeling made Sokka breathless, but at the same time, he felt invigorated. Warmth pooled out from somewhere deep inside him. He took off and charged at the young man leading the soldiers into his village.

The young soldier kicked Sokka clear off the gangplank, but Sokka was not dismayed. He had just underestimated his opponent. The soldier had his hair pulled back into a harsh tail, the rest of his head shaved. The style was all the better to showcase the gnarled scar across his left eye and onto the side of his head. Sokka assumed originally that this was some young political figure from the fancier class of the armor and the hair, but clearly he was just as much a warrior as the rest. Sokka corrected his assumption and tried again.

The squirmish, he could not even really call it a fight, was not in his favor. The young soldier outperformed Sokka in every way. Where Sokka was self-taught, clearly the other was trained by masters. And this soldier did not even use bending.

Sokka had to throw out a hail Mary, literally. Boomerang launched from his hand and was easily dodged by Sokka’s opponent. The young soldier continued his advance on Sokka, but he did not see the weapon spinning in the air behind him, making its return. It hit him in the back of the head hard enough Sokka knew the soldier would be seeing stars.

Rage filled the one eye Sokka could really see, a golden amber. The soldier lost his composure and lashed out with a fist of fire. This, this Sokka had prepared for. He moved out of the way of the fist and felt the heat singe the trimmed hairs on the side of his head. He lashed out with his club and managed a solid hit into the soldier’s rib area, but the armor undoubtedly softened the force of the blow. Sokka’s opponent grunted, and he kicked out his legs in a spin of fire that sent Sokka realing. He did not remember that move from the raids before.

That strange heat continued to pool in Sokka’s stomach as he fought the firebender, but even with the soldier raging, Sokka realized belatedly that he was growing tired. His club became heavier with every swing, and his limbs lagged more and more as he dodged spits of flame. And all the other soldiers were just watching, like it was some form of entertainment. Clearly, they were not worried for Sokka’s opponent. Sokka was quickly understanding that they were right not to worry. 

The moment came that Sokka realized the fight would soon be over. The young soldier seemed tireless. He screamed he was here for the avatar, but Sokka would not back down. His body failed him, and the soldier managed to grab him by the throat. He felt himself pulled but not quite lifted, though he was not strong enough to fight the suffocating grip. The soldier for the first time really studied Sokka’s face, and his eyes went wide. Sokka did not have time to really think that through. He just saw the opportunity, and with all the strength he had left, with a strange heat that seemed to flow from deep inside him and out his arm, he punched toward the scarred side of the firebender’s face.

There was a split second, mid-swing, when Sokka caught a glimpse of blue amongst the scar tissue.

And then his hand combusted. 

Well, it did not so much as combust as lit on fire, a blue fire. The soldier reacted to the heat and flung Sokka away from him just in time to not be hit by the flaming fist. Sokka landed flat on his back on the ice. He stared at his hand, still aflame, with a mix of awe and soul-crushing disgust. He looked back up at the firebender before him and put two-and-two together. Sokka said nothing. He let his limbs fall weak as the other soldiers came and grabbed him, pulled him up. He stayed loose, unable to move. The young soldier, Sokka’s other half, motioned for him to be taken onto the ship before turning toward the amassed villagers. Sokka vaguely heard him talking over the roaring in his ears. The voice of Aang dimly registered as well.

The two soldiers holding Sokka dragged him along the topmost deck of the warship and through to the depths of the hold. The watertribesman barely noticed as they took him into a cell-like room and chained him to the wall. The room was very cold, colder than Sokka would expect, but it was nothing he was not used to. The soldiers left him in the dark with nothing but his thoughts, and those thoughts were not good company.

That weird warmth still flickered somewhere deep inside Sokka, making it impossible for him to forget what he had done. What he could do. He was a firebender. Looks like the legends might really be true, to an extent at least. The young soldier was his soulmate, his other half. Sokka scoffed in the dark. He could not bring himself to hate the soldier on anything but principle. The guy seemed just as surprised as Sokka and then immediately locked him up. It appeared he wanted just as much to do with this whole soulbender magic business as Sokka did, which was nothing. 

Shame settled low in Sokka’s gut despite himself, making a home next to the warmth in this stomach. If the legend was accurate, then that meant that in his previous life… In his previous life Sokka was Fire Nation. He tried not to let the knowledge rattle him, but it did. There was no way that whoever part of Sokka had come had not been involved in the war that killed his mom, that killed so many. Knowing that part of his soul once belonged to someone from the nation that caused so much pain in the world… the self-loathing made Sokka want to vomit, but the bile stuck in his throat and made it burn.

After a few minutes or a small eternity for all Sokka knew, the ship lurched. They were leaving. Sokka laughed hysterically. It was either that or cry.

The door to his cell opened. At first, Sokka could only see the shape of Fire Nation armor, but out from behind the masked soldier came the other soldier from earlier. His soulmate. Sokka felt the puke rise up again, but he swallowed it down. He did not want to appear weak in front of the enemy.

“Leave us!” The young soldier barked. The other soldier left, but another figured stepped into the room before the door closed. He was much older than the soldier, with a white hair and beard and the gut of an old man. Sokka balked at the strange feeling of calm the older man brought about with his presence. His eyes held warmth, and not the harsh fire of the young soldier. It was a kind warmth. Even with concern creasing the corners of his eyes, the older man projected gentleness and comfort.

“Uncle, I wanted to be left alone.”

“You would not be alone, nephew. You would be with your soulmate.”

The older man, the uncle’s, voice was tense but still teasing. The younger flicked a glare over his shoulder at Sokka before looking back at his uncle.

“You do not have to watch me. I will not kill him. Not until we are back in the Fire Nation and father can see.”

Sokka snorted with indignation. The young soldier whipped around to face him. 

“You find that funny, Water Tribe?”

“A little. You sound like a spoiled child that wants to show off to your parents,” Sokka found peace in making the other man’s eyes burn. He may not be able to fight him, but Sokka already knew how to press this guy’s buttons. Call it a gift for finding just the right way to irritate people.

The other took a menacing step forward but was stopped by the older man’s hand on his shoulder. The younger did not turn and continued to address Sokka.

“What is your name?”

“Do you really care to know?” There, that threw him off. Sokka grinned, all teeth and no mirth. The other steeled his expression.

“I would like to know what to pronounce at your execution.”

“Hmph. Sokka, of the Southern Water Tribe. Make sure to say it right. What’s your name, Fire Nation?”

The soldier grimaced but answered, “Zuko, Crown Prince of the Fire Nation.”

Sokka whistled at that. Maybe he was losing his grip on reality, but he could not help but continue pressing the buttons of the man, Zuko, before him.

“And you want to kill me in front of dear old dad. Why, pray tell?”

“To restore my honor! To prove that fate had no hold on my loyalty!”

“So you take the easy way out and kill me?” The other looked startled. “I mean, if you were really strong stuff and wanted to give destiny the bird wouldn’t it be more impressive to just… not have anything to do with me? Or are you scared you won’t be able to do anything but fall in love with my roguish charm?”

“Fall in love?” The phrase came out of Zuko’s mouth like a strangled question.

“My Gran-Gran used to tell stories about how soulmates would inevitably fall in love. It was the draw of the shared soul that brought them together. The bond of soulbending made them closer than any two other people alive. Of course, I don’t really see what I would see in you, but I am quite a catch.”

“Shut up! My father wants you dead, so I will honor him and myself by following his orders and his wisdom. We thought you had already been killed, but now I will finish what my father started,” Sokka could not keep the flash of rage off his face. And the guilt. That was why his mother had been killed all those years ago. To save him. Now he really understood why the Fire Nation was so determined to destroy him.

“I’m not going to talk you out of it. I gave up on this soulbender thing a long time ago, though I guess it is not all make-believe considering I can suddenly firebend. But I would rather die than do it again, so you are doing me a favor, Fire Nation.”

Zuko must have realized that the conversation was anything but productive. He turned toward the door, and right as he did so it flew open and a frantic guard called out, “The avatar has escaped!”

“What!” Zuko nearly screamed and took off, leaving one soldier at the door and the older man in the room with Sokka. The man turned to the guard at the door.

“Please, go help my nephew catch the avatar! I can handle locking up a chained prisoner myself.” The guard nodded and quickly followed in the direction the others went. 

Sokka steeled himself to be plunged into the darkness of the cell again, but the older man instead approached him.

“Hello, Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe. My name is Iroh. Zuko is my nephew. You must forgive him. He was much left on his journey. I will not lie; he means what he said to you. But I trust that he will one day regret his words, and one day you will forgive him. Today need not be that day. Just remember that while the spirits guide us on mysterious paths, you are guided by the kindest of them all,” the older man, Iroh, leaned forward and went as if to wrap Sokka in an embrace. The younger shied away, but instead of hug him, Iroh gently unlocked each of the clasps chaining Sokka’s limbs to the wall of his cell. Sokka rubbed his wrists and watched in awe as Iroh made his way back to the entrance of the cell. He paused in the doorway and looked back at Sokka.

“There is a mantra in firebending that all know but few really understand. It is the lesson that ‘Firebending comes from the breath. The breath becomes energy in the body and that energy is extended through the limbs and becomes fire.’ If you remember this, you have nothing to fear from your fire. You would not be afraid of the breath that comes from your lungs, nor ashamed. Keep this in mind, Sokka, and if anyone asks, you can tell them that your dear uncle was your first and best firebending master,” Iroh’s eyes twinkled with mirth, humor tinging his words. The man was so genuine and so… something Sokka could not describe. Sokka… trusted him. After a moment where the two read the other’s eyes, the watertribesman had no idea what Iroh might have seen in his, the older man turned and walked down the hall, leaving the door to the cell wide open.

Sokka did not need to be told to get up and run in the opposite direction. He managed to find a staircase that led up to the top deck indirectly, coming up slightly behind the main open platform closer to the rear cabin area. Several firebenders as well as Zuko were trying to capture Aang as he almost playfully air bent his way out of their attacks. Sokka spotted a very conveniently placed bin nearby that housed his confiscated weapons. He grabbed his belongings and ran to join the fray.

“Aang!” He called out. The air bender turned and made his way closer to Sokka. They managed to hold them off well enough, but there was not enough fire-free air for Aang to get a good takeoff on his glider, and where would they even go? There was nothing but blocks of ice sprinkled here and there on the horizon. 

Suddenly, as if summoned by Sokka’s dwindling hope, the hairy beast known as Appa came into view from the clouds above. As he lowered, Sokka realized it was Katara who guided the thing toward the deck of the ship. Sokka motioned to stay airborne. There were too many soldiers to risk a landing. They just needed to make enough space…

Aang blasted the surrounding fire nation men with a wave of air that sent them staggering back, all but Zuko. Aang grabbed Sokka and extended his glider, kicking and creating enough updraft to give them lift. It was probably much harder while carrying Sokka, but they were getting off the ground and toward Appa. 

Then Zuko yanked Sokka out of Aang’s hold.

Sokka crashed hard nearly on top of the firebender. Aang, airborne now, circled and called out for Sokka, but the soldiers got in close again. Zuko looked winded from taking the brunt of the other’s weight to the chest and made no immediate move to restrain Sokka. The watertribesman knew he needed to make space for Aang again, and he did not know if the young boy would be able to get to him before rescue was impossible. Sokka drew out his boomerang and frantically thought through many different plans.

Zuko stirred, and Sokka instinctively latched his hand around the prince’s neck. He tightened his hold slightly and felt the other wheeze. The soldier’s stopped advancing, but they were still too close. Sokka could command them to back up? No, they could rush him before he did anything if he showed hesitation. Come on… think…

Sokka became dimly aware of a burning sensation throughout his whole body, and he had to glance to make sure Zuko was not somehow burning him alive. The firebender had not moved an inch, fists clenched to his side. The burning only grew more intense the longer Sokka stayed pressed against the other man, but it was almost pleasant. Comforting. Like home. He felt more alive and whole than he had for a long time. He felt powerful.

The watertribesman contemplated the boomerang in his hand, the creeping soldiers, the firebender below him. He remembered Iroh’s words from earlier. In his warrior training, Sokka was taught that all of his weapons were different extensions of his limbs. If fire was the same way… why not try? Sokka took in a deep breath, found that burning heat inside him that now felt like it was in his entire being, and on the exhale, he let the boomerang fly. 

The weapon flew in a wide arc around the prone men, and behind it trailed a massive streak of fire. The soldier’s, even the firebenders, all stumbled back in surprise at the sheer size and intensity of the wall of flame. Out of the corner of his eye, Sokka saw Aang diving toward him. Boomerang finished its loop and he pushed himself off Zuko to catch it. The man coughed and gasped for breath. Even weakened, he reached for Sokka as if to restrain him. Aang grabbed Sokka by the shirt and flung him into the air just out of reach of the prince’s fingers.

Sokka landed with Aang in a heap. Katara frantically asked Appa to speed upward and forward out of the danger of any fireballs or what have you. As they flew, Sokka could not help but look over the edge of the saddle back toward the warship. While too far to really see it, the young man could imagine the wrathful expression on Zuko’s face.

“Aang, my tribe has tasked Sokka and I with escorting you to the Northern Water Tribe to find a waterbending master. We will be honored to help the avatar.”

Sokka whipped his head around to his sister, sure he was hearing things.

“Did you just say ‘the avatar?’”


	3. The Southern Air Temple - The Warriors of Kyoshi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scenes take place in and around "The Southern Air Temple" and "The Warriors of Kyoshi."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting early in kinda celebration of my WIP doc word count coming in at 30k... I originally thought this would be like 12 chapters w like 30k words total, but I just finished chapter 10 and I'm barely in the middle of Book 2 so... looks like this will be closer to 60k. Current outline has 20 chapters with the final chapter being the epilogue. Thanks for reading!

The watertribe siblings trailed after the last air bender. The fact the boy had still yet to comprehend the fact of his existence was… difficult to say the least. Sokka did not fully understand why Katara was still trying to shield him, but then again his younger sister had always been the mothering type. That was probably why she kept giving him sideways looks as they walked, almost begging him with her eyes to open up. Sokka never lasted long under those eyes.

“I really don’t want to talk about it, Katara. I just want to ignore it until it goes away.”

She gave him a pitying look, “It won’t go away, Sokka. So what, your soulmate is a Fire Nation jerk. That doesn’t say anything about who you are. But we do know you are a firebender now. You should-“

“Katara, don’t you dare tell me I should practice or try to use it. Ever. I am never using it again. I would rather be a non-bender.”

“Sokka, firebending is a part of you. A part of your soul. It doesn’t make you any more a member of the Fire Nation than I am.”

“You don’t get it! It makes me way more Fire Nation than you! I am literally made of Fire Nation- or my soul is, whatever. I was Fire Nation in a past life. The Fire Nation is evil. So some part of me is evil. I know the rest of me is Sokka, is Water Tribe, but I don’t want to give in to that other part of me. I don’t want to lose myself to it.”

“Sokka…”

“Katara, when I was in that cell on the warship, I promised myself I would not ever consciously use my bending. Then, when I was surrounded by those soldiers and so close to the prince and just… I did it without even really thinking about it. Like, I thought about it, but it was instinctual. Like breathing. It felt too natural. It didn’t feel like I was myself. I don’t want to be like them. I don’t want to hurt people.”

Sokka stopped walking and watched Aang without really seeing him. He knew if he looked to his left he would see Katara’s concerned mom eyes. He refused to look at her, though. He only gave her his profile to work with, his one blue eye. His good eye, he thought lamely. 

“I won’t make you do anything you don’t feel comfortable doing. Just, I remember what it was like when I realized I could bend. I know I was little, but once it started, it was almost impossible to stop. It would just happen sometimes, like the pent up energy that used to make us go run around the entire village. I wasn’t that strong then, I am still not as strong as I could be, but you are very powerful even without training. I just worry that if you hold it in, you will explode. And you will hurt someone, Sokka. Probably yourself. You should at least get to the point where you are sure you can control it. Maybe defend yourself against other firebenders. Aang will need a firebending master eventually, but you might not be able to afford to wait that long.”

Katara was right, at least to an extent. It had only been a few days, and he already felt that heat inside himself like an itch he could not scratch. Aang had noticed his irritation and suggested meditating, which helped a bit, but it was not like Sokka was really the meditative type. He could not stick to it long enough. He suddenly got a vision of himself getting mad at Katara and lashing out the way any brother might, only this time his words were accompanied by a flash of bright blue flame. The idea made Sokka’s blood run cold. He had not started any accidental fires yet, but the incident with Zuko in the village proved it was possible for him to summon the fire without knowing. Sokka could not help but feel bone-crushing fear at the thought of… of bending at all. Even when it would be necessary for his and everyone’s safety.

His sister must have known she won their little discussion from something in his expression. Katara grabbed him by the elbow and forcibly turned Sokka toward her. She smiled, all sweet and genuine.

“I’ll help you however I can, Sokka. But I really want you to get this through that thick skull of yours: you are NOT Fire Nation. You are nothing like them. You are a different kind of firebender. You are a firebender of the Southern Water Tribe. You will put all the other firebenders to shame. Your destiny is to honor our people and change the world. I believe in that.”

Sokka sniffed and wiped his eyes with his sleeve, determined not to cry. Katara’s own eyes were wet, but she kept the tears in, too. There would still be a long time before Sokka was ready to embrace this new, well, newly-discovered part of himself, but Katara believed he could get there. And Katara was not often wrong, as much as Sokka hated to admit it. As the pair walked on, Sokka found his mind drifting away from firebending and back to a certain firebender.

Zuko. His soulmate. Fellow soulbender. Whatever. 

The prince seemed so angry, so uncontrollably wrathful. Full of the hatred Sokka expected of the Fire Nation. It was truly impossible to see how their souls were literally cut from the same cloth. That their destinies were supposedly tied together for the betterment of humankind. That legends say they are destined to be more than just bending partners…

Sokka clamped down on that line of thinking immediately. Luckily, he was further distracted by Aang yelling ahead.

—————

Aang guessed they were maybe a day out from Kyoshi Island. Sokka initially wanted to push through for the chance to sleep in an actual bed for the night, but Appa was clearly tired. The watertribesman might have a tense relationship with the sky bison, but he was not about to press the issue when Appa gave him those dopey, sleepy eyes. 

Camping was not too bad, not with the company and the bedrolls and a nice fire. Only the clearing the group stopped in for the night was wet from a recent rain and all the wood was too damp to catch light. Sokka struck his rock and flint together onto the dryest kindling he could find, but nothing sparked. 

“Sokka, it’s alright. The moon is out tonight, and it’s not really cold enough for a fire to be necessary. Don’t worry about it,” Aang tried to comfort lamely, even as he shivered slightly in the chill night air. Sokka rolled his eyes. He may not have traveled with the avatar long, but Sokka knew Aang always got cold at night, when his mind drifted and he stopped consciously warming himself up. On the other side though, Sokka realized he felt colder in the evenings as well. More… drained. Stupid firebending.

Katara came and feebly tried to bend some of the damp from the wood, but she just managed to get some dew off the surface. She cast a concerned glance at the siblings’ traveling companion and her bedroll, and Sokka knew immediately she was going to offer her blankets to the airbender. Her big brother could not allow that because once she did there would be fighting until everyone gave in to her commands.

“Hey, Katara, can you have some water ready, just in case? I think… I think I’ll try to light the fire with my… with my… my stuff.”

“Your stuff?” Aang questioned obliviously.

“Your… stuff…” Katara clearly held back an eye roll. With considerable effort, she gathered enough water to probably put out whatever mess Sokka started. Probably. Aang looked concerned as he put two and two together.

“You’re gonna try and firebend! That’s so cool! If you start to figure things out you can teach me!” he shouted excitedly. Unfortunately, the avatar still did not quite grasp why Sokka was hesitant. 

“Okay, here’s nothing,” Sokka muttered. He gathered up the not-so-horribly-wet kindling he collected as well as a few of the drier sticks and brought them in close to his chest while laying on his palms. He focused on that weird warm part of himself and his breathing. Sokka slowly sucked in a deep breath, but it did not quite go deep enough in him. He breathed out slowly, measured, and breathed in again. He repeated this several times, until suddenly his breathes managed to tap into that energy inside him. He breathed out with a rush, and it turns out, that was too fast.

The kindling in Sokka’s palms burst into a small fireball, the damp sizzling off in steam. Sokka let out a very manly scream and flung the burning mass onto the pile of wood the group gathered. The fire burned so hot that as the flaming blue ball hit the branches steam came off them in a puff, and they slowly began to burn. After a moment, the fierce blue of the fire settled down into a more natural red. Sokka breathed a sigh of relief. And was pelted in the face by a splash of water.

The young man sputtered and glared at his sister. Katara giggled, only a little hysterical, and managed to breath out “your collar was on fire…” between fits of laughter. Aang joined in, but Sokka only chuckled slightly, not wanting to ruin the moment with being too serious. Yeah, that went fine enough, but clearly he needed more control. And… and creating the fire had felt… good. He would have to work on that, too.

Suddenly, Sokka felt exhausted. He had not been this tired after producing much more fire that day on the ship, but then the time of day registered with him again. Stupid firebenders.

Sokka encouraged everyone to get some sleep, his own eyelids drooping. He settled into his bedroll on the opposite side of the fire from Appa. The beast liked to lick him awake in the mornings. It was awful. Katara stuck closer to Appa and the avatar on the other side. Sokka watched her climb into her bedroll and murmur to Aang as she fell asleep. He barely saw her prone form over the low flames of their fire. His fire. In Sokka’s sleep-addled mind, her body looked as if it was burning.

The image would haunt his nightmares for weeks to come. 

—————

“Yep! I’m the avatar, Katara is a waterbender, and Sokka is a fire-” Sokka slapped his hand over Aang’s mouth hard enough it stung. 

“Yeah, I am a fire with a yearning for a nice warm meal!” Katara gave Sokka one of her rare “wow, you actually did good” looks and took over talking for the group. Aang stayed quiet as Sokka lowered his hand, but he looked disappointed. He really did not get why they had to be so secretive about Sokka’s firebending. He was still so naive about the way the world had become.

The next few days of the group’s stay in Kyoshi were actually really nice, though Sokka still smarted at how easily the Kyoshi Warriors were able to best him. He eventually gave in and asked to be trained by their leader Suki, and she constantly teased him about his master being a woman.

Sokka admitted to himself that it was not really the woman-part that upset him about the Warriors. He may not understand women and say stupid stuff from time to time, but he does respect them. In this case, he was deflecting.

The real reason Sokka hated being beaten by the Warriors was that they were all non-benders. Sokka trained as a non-bender his whole life to that point, but whenever he had a shortcoming, he always blamed it on the fact he was not a bender. Yeah the other warriors of his tribe were not benders, but they were also much older than him. He thought he would have those years to practice and get better, and any shortfall on his part was not ultimately his fault.

Then the Kyoshi Warriors beat him up and most were around his age. Both his status as a non-bender and his youth were not an excuse anymore, and Sokka realized that he needed to eat his humble pie and start really working on his non-bending combat (especially if he did not want to ever rely on bending primarily). 

Suki was a tough master, and she worked him tirelessly. He appreciated it though. There was no time for her to teach him anything with nuance, but she helped him practice the proper stance for maintaining good balance, how to use the weight of his opponent against them, and several other simple but no less valuable lessons. 

“Many people doubt the power of the Kyoshi Warrior’s fan, but as you have seen, they are wrong to underestimate it. While the Kyoshi fan might not be a traditional weapon, it is how we wield it that makes it dangerous. The power comes not from the object, but how it is used.”

Sokka stared at Suki as she lectured him, holding the fan out in front of her with reverence. The watertribesman held his own next to hers, the outfit and makeup long forgotten at this point. Sokka was wrapped up in Suki, the way she seemed so much more mature when talking about her traditions and training. The way her lips moved as she spoke. The little looks she sent his way to make sure he understood.

Sokka shook his head to refocus.

“Okay, so let me show you how to disarm someone with the fan. It is a bit harder to do, but if you can do it with a fan you can do it with anything. Take the practice sword and stand in front of me in the stance I taught you.”

Sokka did as instructed and waited for Suki to give another instruction. She looked at him thoughtfully, quirking her head to the side slightly, considering.

“You are a little narrow…” she crossed back over to Sokka and gently twisted his hips more to the side, running her hand down his leg and gently urging it further back. Sokka fought back a very manly gasp and adjusted his stance. Suki met his eyes and gave him a flirtatious smile. “That’s better.”

Returning to her position in front of Sokka, Suki held up her fan in the stance Sokka recognized from their first meeting. She motioned for him to attack.

Sokka swung low, trying to break her footing. Suki hopped lightly to the side and positioned her fan perfectly to intercept his return swing. She caught the blade between the wood spokes of her fan, but before Sokka could push forward to stab her, she huffed and twisted the fan closed, grabbed it in her other hand, and yanked the entire thing in a circular motion. The move was so fast and so powerful that Sokka’s arm was nearly yanked clean out of his socket before he let go of the weapon. Suki smiled at him confidently as she whipped the fan open again and showed there was no damage.

“That was amazing!” Sokka gasped out. Suki’s smile turned softer.

“Thank you, Sokka. You want to learn how to do it?”

“Of course!”

Suki had Sokka take out his borrowed fan and mimic her position, making adjustments as she had before. Sokka thought his heart might explode, and belatedly considering the very real risk of something actually exploding, he took care to calm his breathing. 

“Alright, you look good. Now, I am going to come at you very slowly. What I want you to do is focus on following my movements. Stay light on your feet and ready to move. Watch the tip of the blade and be ready to catch it.”

Suki moved toward Sokka as if through water, but Sokka did not scoff at it. He took in everything about how she approached him. The placement of her feet, where she was looking, her arms, and ultimately the sword in her hand. She swung, and Sokka easily avoided it. In lieu of having to be quick, the watertribesman focused on his form, making sure he kept a good stance as he moved, his arms positioned and ready. Suki went for the return strike, and Sokka managed to catch the blade with the fan, though admittedly with much less grace than his master.

“Good, Sokka. Now, this next bit is all about controlled power. Your strength comes from your breath, and your power comes from how you control that breath. If you just tried to twist my blade now, you would probably break the fan or slice your own arm off. You cannot flail or use too much force, but you must be ready to use the strength at the right moment. Suck in your air as you reach for the tip of the fan, twisting your other hand to close it. This air will focus your mind, grant you speed, and ensure you do not accidentally slice your hand by grabbing the blade. Release most of the air in a burst when you have a firm grip, twisting the rest of the way. Slowly release the rest of the air as you follow through with the movement. It might be weird to think about breathing and fighting in this way, but it greatly improves the control you have over your movement and strength.”

Sokka almost laughed.

“Actually, I have heard something similar before. Not for this type of fighting specifically, but yeah power from breath makes sense.”

Suki tilted her head at him again.

“Well, show me how it's done then.”

Sokka focused on his breath, and immediately that warmth came to his conscious awareness. He had barely thought about it his entire time in Kyoshi, and it was strange that it did not immediately make him retreat. Suki inspired that kind of determination in him.

Sokka breathed in quickly but deeply, using the rush of air to motivate his movement and sharpen his eyes. He latched onto the fan easily, and with a huff, he twisted the fan and blade sharply. The rest of the air left his lungs as the blade clattered to the floor, and Sokka turned to Suki and brandished the fan in a flourish.

“One sword swiftly delivered to the dirt, my lady,” Sokka teased with a slight bow. He knew that if Suki was going full speed and with complete power he never would be able to disarm her, but he thought his quick learning earned him at least a little room for humor. Suki seemed to agree and laughed prettily at the remark. She stooped to pick up the wooden sword.

“Alright, alright, master warrior. Let’s see if you can do it again when I’m going a little faster-”

A loud boom shook the training room. Both occupants rushed to the door to see what caused the blast. Sokka’s stomach dropped through the floor at the sight of fire and Fire Nation soldiers. 

“We need to get you to the avatar! You have to run!” Suki was already sprinting.

“Wait, Suki, we can’t leave Kyoshi like this! They’ll burn down the whole island!”

“Then it will burn! What matters is the future of our world, Sokka,” Suki looked pained as she said it, like she knew she was right but was unhappy about it. Sokka could not press the issue because in that moment several Fire Nation soldiers emerged from between the houses in front of the pair. 

Sokka did his best to help, but it was mainly Suki that made short work of the grunts. They continued their way up the street like that until they came to the house the group had been staying in. Katara and Aang were nowhere to be seen, so the pair wordlessly pivoted toward the large stables that housed Appa. 

As they ran, Sokka felt that warmth turn to itching heat in his stomach. He tried and tried to control his breathing to minimum effect. How did firebenders do it? Exert so much effort but avoid firebending with every ragged breath? 

“ _Maybe actually firebending helps_ ,” the Katara-that-lives-in-Sokka’s-head supplied unhelpfully.

In the near distance, Sokka spotted Aang and Katara fending off several soldiers near Appa. They seemed to be doing well enough, and Suki charged ahead to take one of the soldiers out from behind. Sokka saw what happened next in almost slow motion.

Zuko, stupid, horrible, Prince of the Fire Nation Zuko, flew from spirits-know-where and aimed a large blast of fire directly at Suki’s side. Now, in Sokka’s rational brain, he knew Suki would see the large fireball and would most likely be able to avoid it, but in Sokka’s lizard brain, all he saw was the first girl to be super nice to him that wasn’t his sister and he maybe had a crush on about to be hit by a fireball sent from all of history’s worst soulmate.

So Sokka lunged forward and did what instinct demanded. Fan in hand, Sokka faced the fireball head on. 

Breath in. Use the air for speed. Sharpen your senses. Aim for your target. Breath out, quick. Twist with all your strength, but control it. Control. Breath out, all of it. Follow through. Watch the fireball fly far to the right and smash into a nearby cart, catching it ablaze.

Zuko looked momentarily dumbstruck in front of Sokka, but the watertribesman was equally surprised that it actually worked. He just deflected a freaking fireball. With a fan. Well, and firebending, but Sokka planned to leave that part out of the story.

Suddenly, Katara was next to him, grabbing his arm and pulling him toward Appa. Sokka followed numbly. What would Suki think? Oh spirits, Suki! 

Sokka looked for Suki in the quickly amassing crowd of Kyoshi Warriors, and he managed to catch her eye. Her expression was unreadable, but definitely not as soft as she had been earlier. Shame twisted in his gut. He was still wearing the Kyoshi uniform. He had firebent in the uniform. As Appa lifted into the air, Sokka watched Kyoshi burn, his eyes drawn in particular to the burning cart he caused. He did not see Zuko in the mayhem below, especially when Aang used that weird sea beast to douse the flames.

Sokka looked down at the fan still clutched in his hands and fought the urge to throw it into the sea. He did not deserve it, but he could not disrespect it in that way. Katara and Aang seemed to be having a moment, but all Sokka could think about is Suki’s painfully neutral expression. The burning cart. And, to his ultimate shame, the dumbstruck look on Prince Zuko’s face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you go! Man, proofreading is a pain because what I write never sounds as good as it did when it just lived in my head, but oh well. I'll upload the next chapter before next Wednesday. I am truly halfway through writing now (chapter 10 of 20 is done), so as soon as I'm done with the whole fic, I will upload daily. I just don't want to commit to uploading too quickly and then get stressed about it.
> 
> Again, thanks for reading!


	4. The Spirit World (Winter Solstice, Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place during the events of "The Spirit World (Winter Solstice, Part 1)"

“I don’t believe it!” Sokka exclaimed as the townsfolk described their predicament. “First that crazy king in Omashu, then a freaking prison break, and now some crazy evil spirit!”

“Sokka, I am the avatar. I can help these people. You probably could, too. The avatar and soulbenders have a unique relationship to the spirit world.”

“I want nothing to do with spirit world magic stuff. It’s bad news.”

“Sokka…” Katara tried to interject, but Aang spoke up again with fervor. 

“The spirit world is a part of who you are, Sokka! It’s a gift! One day, you will master soulbending, and to do that, you need to strengthen your relationship with the spirits. You might even be able to join me in the spirit world! Oh, and you would be able to introduce me to the kind spirit! I’ve always wanted to meet it.”

Sokka just rolled his eyes and let the subject fizzle to a stop. All he needed from his soulbender status was the ability to control his bending. He did not need to master anything, especially the creepy spirit world stuff. He definitely would never even consider soulbending. That would require literally melding his soul with his worst enemy, and that was not a very appealing prospect. 

He regretted his fervent stance against learning about the spirit world as he was carried away by the giant spirit monster thing. 

Aang could not catch up, and Sokka watched as the world around him shifted, everything tilting in his vision until it cleared and was indescribably different. The air felt both lighter and thicker, clinging to his skin but also making him feel weightless. The giant spirit creature carried him a little further, but eventually dropped him in a bamboo grove, or whatever the spirit world equivalent was. 

Sokka took stock of his surroundings and quickly spotted what he assumed to be the kidnapped villagers.

“Uh, hello?” Sokka spoke tentatively.

The villagers looked up, and a young woman spoke, “Oh, the spirit must have brought a traveler this time. Come here, stranger. We don’t want anyone to wander too far.”

“How long have you guys been here?” the watertribesman asked as he walked over to the group.

“We can’t really know. Time moves differently here. We only mark time based on how long the next villager tells us it has been since the last kidnapping.” 

“Um, sorry… Do you have any plans to get out of here?”

“No, we just hope that eventually the spirit has mercy on us. We regular folk cannot find our way out of the spirit world without a guide.”

“Huh.”

Sokka scratched his chin and sat amongst the villagers. The young woman reached out her hand in introduction.

“My name is Lei. What is your-“ she gasped. “Are you…?” Her voice trailed off as she asked, but Sokka put two and two together quickly.

“Oh, uh, yeah. But I don’t have any training, so I’m in the same boat as all of you.”

The villagers all murmured to each other. Sokka caught wisps of “soulbender” and “two-from-one spirit” in the chatter. An older woman spoke up and introduced herself as Omari. 

“What is your name, son?”

“Sokka, ma’am. Of the Southern Water Tribe.”

“Well, Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, have you met your soulmate yet?”

Sokka sputtered.

“Spit it out, boy,” Omari was stern, but her voice was laced with a tired kindness.

“Yes,” Sokka could not lie under her gaze.

“Then you might just be our savior. The legends say once the connection has been made between soulbenders, you can call on each other for aid. Another part of this is called the tether. You can use your connection to your soulmate to guide us back to our world.”

Omari’s words triggered Sokka’s memory. His mother used to tell him all the stories about soulbenders, and before she died, Sokka hung on every word. As Omari spoke, he was back in his mother’s lap.

“Momma, why would one soulbender go into the spirit world alone? Wouldn’t they want to stay together?”

Kya stroked her son's long hair out of his eyes, “Well, yes, baby, soulmates always want to be together, but sometimes that isn’t possible. Sometimes they have to separate for important reasons, or maybe something unpredictable separates them. But the kind spirit, in its wisdom, created the tether to always help soulmates find each other, even if one of them is in the spirit world.”

“Do you think I could find my soulmate now?”

“Probably not. The connection isn’t really formed until you meet. It’s like hearing stories about your relatives, like your great aunt Tiah. You liked her from the stories, right? Gran-Gran always made you laugh with them. But your connection to Tiah was not really that strong until you got to personally know her by meeting her. If you tried to connect to your soulmate now, you would just be doing it based on stories.”

“That makes sense… I think?”

“I think that is enough of soulbending lesson for today. Go to sleep, little one. Tui watch us.”

“And La support us. Good night, momma.”

“Good night, Sokka dear.”

Sokka blinked back into awareness. A dozen pairs of eyes watched him.

“I am not sure reaching out to my soulmate is a good idea. I don’t think he would help us.”

“Why not?” Lei asked. 

Omari must have seen the extreme discomfort and conflict wash over Sokka’s expression. She interjected,

“I’m not even sure you would be contacting them, not in any literal way. I think just their presence in our world is enough. You can sense our world through them and pull us to that world. They might not even be aware you did anything.”

That seemed way too easy. But what choice did Sokka have? Wait for Aang to come get them? Aang could not even keep Sokka from getting kidnapped. Of course, Sokka could not prevent Sokka from getting kidnapped, but that was beside the point. 

“Okay… Okay, I’ll try. Just to get us out of here. I need to meditate. I’m going to go a little way off into the bamboo so I can focus.”

“Wait,” Lei said calmly. She removed a comb from her hair, the long black locks falling onto her shoulders. She took the comb and bent it until it snapped into two pieces. Sokka watched confused. She handed one half to him.

“This comb was given to me by my great grandmother before she passed. My father back in the village is a craftsman, and he can easily fix it, so don’t worry. My grannie would want me to use it to get home. If something happens, use your half to find your way back to us. It is very dear to me, and my grannie was very devoted to the worship of the spirits, so I believe the connection between the pieces will be enough to guide you.”

Sokka just stared in bewilderment at the girl. Omari smiled at her. 

“Oh, Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, have you never met a shrine maiden? Our village has a long and prestigious line of maidens going back for generations. Unfortunately, Lei and I were taken with the larger group on the first night the black and white spirit attacked our village, probably because of our connection to the spirit world. If we were back in the village, I am sure clever Lei would have solved our situation by now.”

Lei blushed, “Thank you, grandmother.”

Sokka just nodded respectfully to Lei and Omari. He had completely missed their matching red and white uniforms. He did not really have words. Apparently he really needed to drink more respect woman juice. First Suki with fighting, and now these two on his soulbending. What’s next, some woman telling him all about his future love life? Yeah, right.

After the comb was firmly fastened next to his boomerang on his belt, Sokka set off into the bamboo. He did not really know where he was going. He trusted his instincts. After just a few steps, he felt a strange sort of pull leading him on. Sokka followed the feeling out of the bamboo grove and out by a small pond. The pond was surrounded by lush green, and gazing into the water, Sokka saw two koi circling each other, one light, one dark. Beyond the koi, Sokka thought he saw walls of ice. Strange, he thought. He shook off the feeling and kept walking. 

Eventually, he found himself under a tree at the top of a large hill. Below him, the landscape seemed to supernaturally stretch and shift into a great walled city. Sokka shook his head and wiped his eyes, but the image stayed. He turned to the tree, and at its base, alone, was a flowering jasmine plant.

“The spirit world is so weird,” Sokka said out loud.

“You are quite right, Sokka,” a voice came from nowhere.

Said young man nearly jumped out of his skin. Before him, the lone jasmine plant shifted and steadily grew until it was taller than Sokka. The flowers and stems twisted together into something of an abstract form with a face Sokka could only describe as…

“Kind. You’re the kind spirit,” Sokka said breathlessly. He would normally be skeptical, but everything in the marrow of Sokka’s bones told him that was the truth.

“Right again, young one,” the voice was simultaneously young and old. Feminine and masculine. 

“What are you doing here?”

“I live here. I am a spirit.”

“I mean, why are you here now? With me? How did you know I was here?”

“I always feel a connection to my children. I called you here when I felt you enter my world.”

“I am not your child.”

“But you are,” the kind spirit’s expression softened more, which seemed impossible. “I know your life has not been easy, dear one. I am here to help you now, while I can.”

Sokka suddenly remembered everything. How could he forget? His heart hardened.

“I don’t want your help. I want nothing to do with you.”

“I know you mean that, and your feelings are valid. As of yet, your status as a soulbender has brought you immeasurable hardship. I weep for you. I wish I could take your pain.”

Sokka struggled to stay angry, but he managed it.

“Why? Why me? Why couldn’t I just be normal? Why couldn’t I just go off with my dad and fight the Fire Nation and die a warrior like everyone else? Why did my mom have to die for me? Why do I have to feel so ashamed all the time? Why…” Sokka sobbed openly, collapsing to his knees. “I just don’t understand. I don’t want this destiny. I don’t want to be soulmates with a firebender. I don’t want to be a firebender. I think about my past life and it makes me sick. I hate myself.”

The kind spirit knelt and wrapped Sokka in its branches, softer than they should be. He did not fight the embrace, but he did not return it. His face stayed buried in his hands. 

“I will not lie to you, Sokka. Your previous life, the life you share with Zuko, you were Fire Nation. You were a young soldier, one who died near this place, or this place in your world. You died too young for a country you believed in. But your death brought about great good through others, but there was no closure. Look, Sokka,” the kind spirit gently peeled Sokka’s hands from his face. Sokka watched as the spirit separated one of its long stems from the rest of itself. The other stems used some… magic or something to cut the other stem directly below a leaf. The cut was clean, but the stem separated from the rest seemed immediately to wilt. Carefully, the kind spirit took the cutting and dug a small hole of earth, burying the cut stem with only a small bit sticking from the ground. A gust of supernatural wind blew through the air, carrying a fine mist. The jasmine cutting sprouted and grew quickly into its own flowering bush.

“Jasmine can grow from the cut pieces of its mother plant. On its own, the cutting will wither and die, but when put in the right soil and nurtured, it will become as strong as its mother. This property is what inspired me to create soulbenders. Once the cut is made, the cutting cannot be reattached to the mother, but it can grow and bloom on its own. It was a bit different with a human soul torn into two, a lot messier, but the core is the same. While part of you is this soldier, the Fire Nation soldier who died near this hill, that part was put in good soil, the part of you that is uniquely you. It was nurtured by your mother and father in the Southern Water Tribe, Kya and Hakoda. They grew you into the beautiful new plant you have become. Look at how much of the plant has grown from the initial stem. So much of it is unique and was never a part of me. All of that is you Sokka. Only a small part of it is the soldier. That small part connects you to Zuko, yes, and to firebending, but it is only a fraction of what makes you. You control who you are and who you continue to grow into. There is no use hating the stem of you when it blends so fully into the rest of the bush that you cannot even pinpoint it anymore. It is there, but it is not all there is. Do you understand, Sokka? It is okay to love yourself. To love who you have made yourself to be.”

Sokka continued to sob, “But I don’t know how to be me! I don’t know how to be Sokka the Firebender. Sokka the Soulbender. Especially not when my soulmate is Zuko.”

“Believe it or not, dear, but Zuko had felt much like you have, for much longer than you have.”

“What?”

“Zuko is not of the Southern Water Tribe, but he knew his soulmate was. And the Fire Nation has been hunting for you since you were a tiny child. You think Zuko had control over that? That he commanded those men to search for you and to kill you?”

“But-“

“Sokka, could you imagine what it might be like to grow up in a kingdom so obsessed with domination when your destiny is to help restore peace?”

The young man bit his tongue. He wiped his tears.

“You may not be ready to consider the humanity of your soulmate, nor he your humanity, but one day you will. But before you can accept each other, you need to accept yourselves. Promise me you will try, Sokka.”

“I will,” Sokka promised, and he was surprised to find he meant it. 

“Oh, it seems that avatar has managed to tame poor Hei Bai. I feel it. You must go now. Follow the comb, the shrine maiden was wise. And remember this, Sokka.”

With that, Sokka found himself alone on the hill, no evidence of the kind spirit save a flowering jasmine bush. The watertribesman coughed awkwardly and got the comb from his belt. He held it out in front of himself like a compass, and nearby a few stalks of bamboo sprouted up. He walked into them and followed the strange pull of the comb until he found Lei.

“Did you do this, Sokka?” She asked as everyone continued through the grove. 

“No, I wasn’t able to connect, but I’m sure Aang got through. The avatar, I mean.”

“Hm…” she hummed, checking him over closely as they walked. “You smell like jasmine.”

“Oh,” was all Sokka could think to respond. 

After a few more moments of walking, Sokka pushed through the last few stalks. He had to wipe his eyes against the too-bright sun of the human world for a few moments. He heard Aang and Katara running toward him.

“Sokka! Sokka, what happened?” Aang called out.

Sokka did not want to talk about it.

“Uh, I can’t remember, I just, uh, I gotta pee!”

Somewhere else in the world, Iroh brought his nephew a steaming cup of calming jasmine tea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More lore! Woot woot! Lemme tell you, I was at my community garden a few days before I wrote this and there was a nice older lady there as well. I remembered that the plant I was working with grew from cuttings, so I asked lady there if she knew of other plants that grew from cuttings because the idea for the kind spirit was brewing in my head. She listed off several, and at the end she said, and I quote, "You can do it with jasmine too, but the plant is so dang temperamental. My friends all tell me it isn't hard, but I just haven't been able to make the poor things [meaning the cuttings] believe in themselves." And I was just like *IDEAS INTENSIFY.* So yeah big credit to the nice lady from my local community garden.


	5. The Spirit World (Winter Solstice, Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place during "The Spirit World (Winter Solstice, Part 2).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise extra chapter today! This one is a bit short for me to feel okay posting it on its own. Plus I'm not super happy with how it turned out. I guess I could just have not included it, but oh well! I wanted to build in a little step on Sokka's healing journey (and I had this random cool idea for firebending powers lol).

“So we have to go into the Fire Nation to go find the dead Avatar Roku so you can chat? And I’m supposed to be okay with that?”

Katara rolled her eyes so hard Sokka worried she would go blind like Elder Loni did a few years back. He always told the children it was because he rolled his eyes at his parents too much, and while Sokka knew enough now to know that it was probably not the truth, he could not shake his childhood superstition.

“We will be there with you, Aang. Don’t worry about Sokka. He might be able to get something out of a Fire Nation temple, too.”

“I can’t ask you two to come. It is too dangerous,” Aang’s eyes were sincere, but Sokka snorted.

“It’s too dangerous now? I’ve almost died more times in the last few weeks than I can count. I’ll come. We’ve got your back”

It looked for one horrifying moment like Aang would cry, but he just sniffed and turned back to steering Appa with an appreciative look. Katara nodded at him approvingly. Wow, she sure was taking Aang’s side a lot. Sokka tried not to take it too personally.

They had a long ride ahead of them to make it to the Fire Nation temple in time, so Katara tried to take as descent a nap as she could in the whip of the wind. Sokka could not sleep unless he was on solid ground, and Aang guided Appa, so it was just the two of them for a bit.

Aang spoke up first, “Hey, Sokka, do you really not remember what happened while you were in the spirit world? You were there for a while.”

Sokka sighed. He saw no point in lying, though he really did not want to tell Katara and deal with her mother-henning.

“I actually met the kind spirit,” he breathed out in one breath. Aang turned to him excitedly, but his expression dulled when he saw Sokka’s.

“Did it not go well?”

“I guess that depends on how you would define ‘well.’ It wasn’t really all that significant. A lecture about loving myself and all that.”

“Well, self-love and care are extremely important. We have an air nomad mantra: ‘One who loves the world must first love themself, for they are the start of their world but not the end of it.’ Gyatso used to say that a lot when I would get down on myself.”

“You’d get along with the kind spirit then.”

“Did you learn its name?”

“Huh?”

“The kind spirit’s name?”

Sokka balked and blushed slightly, “Oh, no. I didn’t think to ask. I was a little preoccupied. Before talking to the spirit, I was actually trying to strengthen my connection to our world through Zuko so I could help get everyone back. But you wound up saving the day, anyway.”

“That’s really cool, Sokka! Do you think you could find that connection here in our world?”

“I hope not. I would prefer it if Zuko did not have a built in avatar beacon.”

Aang considered that for a moment, “Yeah, that probably wouldn’t be a good idea. But it would be cool, though. In other circumstances.”

“Yeah, in other circumstances.”

The pair fell into an uneasy silence, Sokka preoccupied with thoughts of his strange connection to the prince of the Fire Nation, soulbending, the kind spirit, and so on. He was so lost in thought that it seemed only a few moments before Aang was poking him and asking him to wake up Katara. They were about to have to run the blockade into the Fire Nation.

—————

Sokka grabbed the nearest Fire Sage and restrained him. Katara yelled for Aang to go into the sanctuary. It was now or never. Where was he?

“The avatar is coming with me!” A familiar voice called. Sokka startled and looked toward Zuko, and in that moment the Fire Sage he held twisted and grabbed him. Sokka struggled in the Sage’s vice-like grip. As he struggled, he felt that spark, that itch under his skin that Zuko seemed to bring with his presence. Sokka did not want to lash out, not yet, especially as the Fire Sages chained him so close to Katara. He did not want to risk hurting her. 

Aang broke away from Zuko somehow, outside Sokka’s line of sight. He made a line for the restrained pair, but Katara encouraged Aang to enter the sanctuary before it was too late. She was right, and Sokka tried to give Aang an assuring look as he turned to dive between the closing doors. A bright blue light emanated from the chamber, and the Fire Sages could not get back into the door. 

Zuko said something to the Sages with a huff before storming over to the pillar Sokka was chained to. It looked as if he was about to say something, but another Fire Nation soldier, a terse looking older man with sharp sideburns, marched in with his troops.

“Ah, Prince Zuko. I thought you were banished from the Fire Nation? It seems I will capture the avatar and two traitors today.”

Zuko whipped around to face the new Fire Nation presence.

“It’s useless, Zhao. The avatar is in the sanctuary, and the door won’t open,” Zuko clenched his fists to his side, but he did little to stop them as two of the new Fire Nation soldiers came behind him and restrained his arms. Sokka watched with a confused expression. He was under the impression that the two men before him were on the same side.

“Well, the avatar must eventually come out. It won’t be long, now. Chain him,” the last command was directed at the soldiers holding Zuko. He growled slightly as his arms were chained and yanked painfully behind his back. Sokka found himself pushing at his own bindings in response, the pain in Zuko’s expression made Sokka’s blood boil. 

Ugh, soulmates.

Wait, soulmates!

Zuko’s captors chained him too far away for Sokka to really communicate without being noticed, but Sokka reached out and just kind of willed Zuko to look at him. The feeling of yanking on the previously-unnoticed tether between the two was foreign and a bit frightening, but Zuko’s eyes did flick in Sokka’s direction. The watertribesman trusted that his plan was communicated in his desperate eyes.

Maybe it was the soulbender thing, but Zuko’s eyes widened slightly. He seemed to understand. Sokka just hoped his plan actually worked this time. As much as it pained him to try to do anything with the prince, it was their best chance to get out before Zhao managed to nab Aang.

Sokka focused all his breath into his core, into that warm spot within him. He reached out toward the energy Zuko channeled as well. After a moment of breathing, the watertribesman felt his breath touching… reaching into Zuko’s energy. It was like… it was like it was his energy, too. Like they were the same person, just for a moment.

Sokka smelled jasmine.

Everything shifted slightly, spun and settled. Everything around the pair seemed frozen in place. Sokka became dimly aware that he was standing further forward than his chains would allow, and he turned back to see his meditating body limp against the pillar. He turned and saw Zuko in a similar state of out-of-body experience. 

The world shifted slightly again, and the kind spirit was there.

“Oh, Sokka! Coming to visit me again so soon? And you brought Zuko with you, too!”

Zuko’s eyes widened with something Sokka would have thought was fear.

“No, this is not happening,” the prince ground out between gritted teeth.

The kind spirit directed that expression at Zuko, and Sokka watched the young man’s own expression falter and soften, but only slightly.

“It seems the avatar is reaching into the spirit world nearby. That is why your attempts at connection managed to reach me. I am quite proud that you both are coming together, but unfortunately, you are not ready yet. You are both on your own journeys of healing, and you cannot force yourselves into the soulbending state before those journeys are at least near completion. If you are not comfortable as yourselves, you may get lost in one another and struggle to come back to who you are independently.”

“I wasn’t trying to… to soulbend or whatever. I just know when I was close to Zuko before I was more powerful, so I thought if we both focused on that then we could get out of this awful situation,” Sokka explained.

“That was a good plan, Sokka, but your bond is one of the strongest I have ever seen in my children. It is easy for you to stray into something you are not ready for. Luckily, I am here. I will help you. I’ll provide the boundaries you cannot yet provide yourselves.”

“Thank you…” Sokka said carefully. This situation was so weird, but he knew it was necessary. He found himself glancing back at the frozen, concerned expression of Katara looking at his body. He could not let anything happen to her.

“I don’t want anything to do with this!” Zuko suddenly yelled. Sokka turned his eyes back to the prince and narrowed them.

“You think I want to do anything with you, Prince Jerkbender? Especially with the way you’ve been chasing us around and trying to kill us?”

Zuko seemed about to respond angrily before the kind spirit gently reached out its stems between the two of them. The flowered boughs wrapped around Sokka’s bicep.

“Enough now, children. Trust. Close your eyes. Take a step.”

In sync, Sokka’s and Zuko’s physical forms took a step forward to meet their spirits. Their bodies burned so hot the metal of the chains stretched like seal jerky before snapping and falling in melted puddles on the ground. The world burst into motion. The kind spirit vanished. Zhao turned toward them, his eyes widening in shock.

“You… that’s not possible… is the Water Tribe boy?” came Zhao’s disjointed questions. 

Katara grabbed Sokka’s arm, and the grounding action helped Sokka leave the weird headspace, everything shifting back. Zuko took off running as soon as the connection broke, not offering to help in the slightest. Sokka watched his retreating back and burned (not literally) with anger. Jerkbender.

He was distracted from his seething by the approaching Fire Nation soldiers and Fire Sages. He prepared for a fight, but fortunately Aang - well Roku - but it was Aang - Roku-Aang came out of the sanctuary at just the right moment and started laying waste to the whole temple.

As the group fled into the night, Sokka thought about that creepy moment of connection he shared with Zuko. They moved at the same time, like they shared a mind. Yeah, all they did was melt some chains and take a step, but the fact they did it at all made Sokka itch.

The thing that was the most disconcerting, though, was the fact that Sokka did not feel guilty about it. Sure, he felt gross to have had a freaking moment with the enemy, but the negative feeling was directed outward at Zuko rather than inward at himself. He was actually pretty proud that he thought to use the connection to escape, that they could use firebending without hurting Katara or anyone else that did not deserve it. 

Sokka felt something inside of him heal, even if it was just a little bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I am currently 40k into the WIP w seven planned chapters remaining. Unexpected business at work and, let's be honest, the dropping of The Umbrella Academy season 2 slowed me down a bit. I'm back at it though! I won't make any promises about timing, but I am plenty ahead for the weekly schedule, and like I've said, when the work is 100% done I will marathon my proofreading and post the remaining chapters daily. I'll let you know when that happens! For now, I'll be back with the next chapter on or before next Wednesday.


	6. The Fortuneteller - Bato of the Water Tribe - The Deserter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sections take place during "The Fortuneteller," "Bato of the Water Tribe," and "The Deserter" respectively.

“Anguish and suffering, most of it self-inflicted” Aunt Wu muttered. Sokka balked at the prediction. What a quack… she did not know anything, obviously. Sokka was going to somehow manage to live a happy life. Right?

As Katara and Aang fixated on Aunt Wu and her predictions, Sokka tried fervently to poke holes in them. Honestly, Sokka could not let Aunt Wu be right about them, because she would be right about him. And if she was right about him… then Sokka would be right about himself. He needed to believe he could make his own happiness, but everything with the complications of soulbending made that difficult.

Sokka thought he had Aunt Wu with the whole volcano thing, but the village would not see sense. They let the crazy lady off on a technicality, which was super unfair in Sokka’s opinion. He muttered about it under his breath as he gathered the last of the provisions the town gifted Team Avatar. Aang and Katara were getting Appa ready for travel, Momo nowhere to be seen at the moment. Sokka swung his sack onto his back and started to head in the direction of the group, but he was stopped by a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Aunt Wu had a delicate look on her face, like she wanted to approach Sokka with caution but also purpose. She cleared her throat.

“I am afraid my curtness earlier made you even more of a skeptic. That is my fault. I was annoyed, so I issued a very surface level reading. If you would allow me, I would like to correct that mistake and give you a proper reading,” she seemed genuine.

“I don’t believe in destiny and all that.”

She smiled at him, and it made Sokka uncomfortable.

“But you are a soulbender? Your fate is already set before you.”

“Then why do I need a reading? You say I already know my future,” Sokka sighed tiredly.

“You know your destination. The path there is still a mystery. Please. Let an old woman right a wrong.”

Sokka shook his head, but he found himself offering his hand without thinking. Aunt Wu took it in her wrinkled ones, tracing the lines of his palm with reverence.

“I’ve never done a reading for a soulbender. You are similar to the avatar, but different in a lot of ways. It is harder to pinpoint certain facts when your destiny is so intertwined with another. I expect if I had your soulmate here, too, I would be able to give you much more information.”

“Just tell me what you’re gonna tell me so I can get back to my friends.”

She tsked, “There is suffering and anguish here, but there is a mitigating factor. Romantically, you will experience a great love lost, a great love not meant to be, and a great love that will ultimately bring you your greatest happiness. Once you fully embrace your status as a soulbender and all that entails with your soulmate, you will find the joy you seek. You will also one day be a father, though the child will not be by your blood. You will soon meet someone from your past you have not seen in a long while. Oh, and you should avoid drinking an excess of milk. It will upset your stomach and what comes after.”

She finished, and Sokka tried to process it all, “You got all that?”

“Like I said, soulbenders have the clearest destinies. I could have gotten more if your soulmate was here.”

“Well, you definitely got one thing wrong. I am never ‘embracing’ my soulmate.”

“Never say never, Sokka. I get a feeling I am not the first one to tell you this, though. Go, your friends are calling for you.”

“No, I don’t hear-”

“Sokka, Appa is ready!” Aang ran up, grabbing one of Sokka’s sacks of provisions and motioning for the two to head off.

“Bye, Aunt Wu!”

“Goodbye, Avatar!”

Sokka turned and resolutely ignored the holes burned into the back of his head by Aunt Wu’s eyes. Love, soulmates, fatherhood, someone from his past? It was all too much. Aunt Wu must have sucked on the wrong kind of swamp frog.

—————

Or not, though Sokka did not think about Aunt Wu as he ran to embrace Bato. His father’s best friend, pretty much an uncle to Sokka, someone familiar to remind him of home and safety and simpler life. Seeing Bato was the best thing to happen to Sokka in a long time.

Bato explained that their father had to go on with the other Water Tribe men when Bato got injured. The trio toured the abbey and met several of the nuns that cared for Bato with Aang trailing behind petulantly. Eventually he left to go back to the ship, and Katara and Sokka were too preoccupied with Bato to really notice.

“So our dad should be sending you the message of where to meet him? Katara, we could see Dad!” Sokka bounced with excitement. Katara smiled contentedly as well, and her brother could tell she liked the idea. Bato filled them in on some of the tribe’s exploits in the Earth Kingdom, but eventually the conversation turned to the siblings’ adventures.

“So, traveling with the avatar? That is a tremendous honor. Are you still finding time to practice your bending, Katara?” Bato asked.

“Yeah, I’m training with Aang, actually. He is picking it up way faster than I am, but I think I know enough now that I won’t be considered a total beginner when we get to the Northern Water Tribe.”

“That’s great! When we left, I remember you could barely splash me,” Bato teased, and Katara swiftly lifted some water from the nearby well and doused the older man with it. Everyone laughed good-naturedly. Bato scooted a bit closer to the fire between the seated watertribespeople. The water sizzled on his skin, reminding Sokka of that night in the clearing, with the damp wood.

“Yeah, Aang and I practice enough. Sokka refuses to practice though. Actual forms at least, though I guess we don’t know any.”

Bato flicked his gaze over to Sokka, and the younger man’s stomach frosted over. Sokka found that was the best way to describe what happened when that warmth vanished in his panic. The- The bending thing was private. She had no right to talk about it without asking Sokka first. He glared at her before wilting under Bato’s quirked eyebrow.

“You don’t have to talk about it, Sokka. Your sister didn’t mean anything by it. Though I would like to know about your soulmate, since you have apparently met them.”

Sokka sighed, dropping his head into his hands, “He’s a jerk. He’s trying to capture Aang for the Fire Nation.”

“So he’s Fire Nation?”

“Yeah. Prince of the Fire Nation. Zuko.”

Bato did not respond, so Sokka looked up to see the older man processing this information. He softened his expression before he spoke again,

“I haven’t heard of any of the royal children being anything but firebenders, so I’m assuming that you…” he trailed off, allowing Sokka the right to say or not say.

“Yeah. I can. Do that. Not hating myself for it is a work in progress.”

Bato shifted and made his way around the small fire to sit directly beside Sokka. He brought the Water Tribe boy against his side with a broad arm around Sokka’s shoulders. Sokka sank into the contact, and Katara watched with a careful expression.

“Sokka, we always knew this was an option, right? It would not be any different if you were a waterbender, earthbender, or airbender. I am so proud of you regardless, and if your father was here, he would say the same.”

“But I’m supposed to do something great, to like, help the world. And my soulmate is literally evil and working to destroy that. And just… firebending has hurt so many people.”

Bato considered Sokka’s words. Slowly, Bato reached into his belt and pulled out a small whittling knife. He used to always make small toys for the village children from bits of bone, beautiful figurines of polar-dogs or penguin-seals or anything really.

“Sokka, you know this knife?”

“Yes, it's a whittling knife.”

“Not especially dangerous, right?”

“No,” Sokka got a vague sense of where Bato was going with this.

“It’s a knife, though. It’s sharp. I could take this knife and kill a hundred men. I could kill many, many innocent people with this knife. But would you say this knife itself is evil? That it deserves the blame for hurting all those people?”

“No, I’d say you killed those people and just used the knife.”

“Exactly, Sokka. It’s the same with any weapon, any object even. The thing itself is not good or evil, it is the way it is used and by whom. Can you imagine how many times earthbending or waterbending has killed Fire Nation soldiers in this war? So many times. Any bending can be used to harm, maim, or kill. So you have firebending! You are not Fire Nation. You don’t plan to use your bending that way! You are definitely not evil, Sokka, and neither is that part of you.”

Sokka felt tears trickle from the corners of his eyes. He thought about the borrowed Kyoshi fan, still in his bag back with Appa. Of the boomerang on his hip.

“I was Fire Nation. In my previous life,” Sokka felt like Mya from his village. The old woman grew forgetful in her old age, always repeating the same outdated things to anyone she talked with. No one could ever convince her that tomorrow was not market day, that her long-dead grandson was not just still out on a hunting trip.

“Do you really think so little of how your parents raised you? How our tribe raised you? Sokka, from the moment you were born, you did not have a mean bone in your body. Ignorant, maybe, but never mean. You are a firebender. And you will make our tribe proud. Nothing about that previous life matters to us, just what you do with the life you have now.”

Sokka was fully crying by that point. Katara moved from her observational perch and cuddled into Sokka’s other side. Eventually she and Bato got him smushed into a Sokka-sandwich, not that he complained. Yeah, Sokka had been through something like this with the kind spirit before, but it was completely different to hear this kind of acceptance and recognition from an elder of his tribe, someone he knew and respected so highly. Bato’s approval was second only to his father, and the pair rarely disagreed. Sitting in that hug, Sokka felt that raw part of himself heal just the slightest bit more.

Maybe that is why it hurt so much more when Aang came clean about keeping his father’s message from the Water Tribe siblings. It gave him emotional whiplash, and he snapped at the avatar, the boy. He did not care. He just needed to see his dad, stay with the people that made Sokka feel a little bit more human.

But then that stupid wolf had to howl. As Bato explained the pain of being separated from his warrior brothers, from his family, Sokka remembered what it was like to be left behind back home when his father went to war. As much as it hurt to turn around, Sokka knew it was the right thing to do.

He tried not to think about the fact that he was outright choosing to follow the course of his destiny.

“I am sure your father is proud of you,” Bato echoed one more time as the Water Tribe children turned to leave, map to the meeting point still in hand. Katara gave Sokka a strange look as they made their way back toward the abbey, moving quickly so Aang would not leave without them.

“What, Katara? You have that look on your face,” Sokka sighed.

“What look?”

“Your ‘I-really-want-to-have-a-heart-to-heart-but-I-don’t-know-if-I-should’ look.”

Katara’s expression shifted to her “I-cannot-believe-my-brother-is-so-ridiculous” look before becoming something more neutral.

“Fine, I’ll come right out with it. I know it does not mean as much as Dad or Bato, but I am proud of you, Sokka. I know it took a lot of effort to be the one to say we should go back to Aang. To acknowledge that he needs us, both of us. Because it will probably mean you have to… to embrace what you are.”

Sokka felt a twinge at the last bit, but he pressed past it to address the most important part.

“Katara, your opinion of me means just as much as Dad’s and Bato’s. Maybe… maybe even more. I mean, Dad will always be my dad, but you… You have been so much more than just a sister to me. You’re… you’re my best friend, Katara. I may not act like it, like make fun of you and complain and stuff, but I don’t know what I would do if you were ever disappointed in me, and I mean really disappointed in me. Like in more than just the ‘I-did-something-kind-of-stupid’ way. You’re such an amazing person. Really. From what I can really remember about Mom, you are just like her.”

Katara sniffed, “Thanks, Sokka. That- That means a lot. Thank you.”

“I mean it. I know I am going through a lot, and it puts even more stress on you. I hate it. I just want to be your older brother. I want to give your boyfriends the shovel talk and beat up anyone that hurts you. But you’ve been doing a whole lot more of that kind of thing for me lately. I should be thanking you,” Sokka looked pointedly at the path ahead. Well, until Katara started giggling.

“What?” Sokka asked, annoyed. He was trying to do the heart-to-heart thing and Katara of all people was the one laughing.

“No, no, don’t mind me. I don’t really know why I’m laughing. I guess that it is just that these talks normally never go well, but here we are. And you’re the one being super great about it. You may think I’m the one doing all the emotional heavy lifting for Team Avatar, but you are way more qualified than you think.”

“Thanks? I don’t ever remember saying that I thought I was emotionally stunted or whatever…”

“Oh, don’t worry, you didn’t need to say it.”

“Hey!” Sokka exclaimed, but Katara kept giggling. Her brother liked hearing her laugh too much to really complain.

\----------

The group followed Chey as he led them deeper into the forest, toward the edge of the river. They were going to meet a firebending master, one who supposedly deserted from the Fire Nation army years before. Aang seemed excited at the prospect of finding a master, but Sokka felt more hesitant. He was doing better on accepting his firebending, but he still was not sure he was ready to actually dedicate himself to its study.

After some shenanigans, Sokka found himself standing beside Aang outside the tent belonging to Jeong Jeong, the firebending master. Aang directed a sympathetic look in Sokka’s direction before leading the pair inside. The room was barren, save for a ring of candles between them and the huddled form of a man turned away.

“Master, I am here to learn firebending,” Aang said with a bow. Sokka figured he should say something, too, but he hesitated until it was too late.

Jeong Jeong spoke, “You are not ready. You are rash, impulsive. You have no discipline. And your friend is too hesitant, like a wet piece of wood, he will not light.”

“Hey,” Sokka found himself protesting, “I’ve set plenty of wet wood on fire, thank you very much.”

Jeong Jeong turned to the two benders with harsh eyes. He lectured them on the importance of the avatar first learning waterbending and earthbending and something about fish and rivers. Honestly, Sokka kinda lost focus during the rant. His attention snapped back to the room when it plunged into darkness. He smelled jasmine.

Before him was the visage of what he could only assume was Avatar Roku based on the statues he had seen before. Roku criticized Jeong Jeong’s implication that he might be weak, and Sokka snorted. He slapped his face in an effort to cover his mouth as Avatar Roku turned to look at him.

“Sorry,” Sokka croaked out.

Roku turned back to Jeong Jeong, “And you will train the soulbender. He must learn the art of firebending if he is to fulfill his destiny, and that destiny is very dear to me.”

“I will train you both in firebending,” Jeong Jeong muttered as Avatar Roku disappeared.

“That’s great!” Aang exclaimed, and Sokka looked at the boy as if he grew two heads. Did Aang not realize he just channeled Roku’s spirit? _Man, the spirit world is so weird,_ Sokka thought. He nervously followed Jeong Jeong and Aang out of the tent desperately hoping that Jeong Jeong would start them off slowly.

He was not disappointed, though Aang was. Jeong Jeong had them both get down into deep squats and focus on the sun’s energy. Sokka focused in on the warmth of it, focused on his breathing.

“See, even that buffoon knows to concentrate on what he is doing!” Jeong Jeong barked at Aang.

“Hey! I’m not stupid! I know lots of stuff about firebending… I just… I don’t like to practice!” Sokka immediately regretted coming to his own defense. He saw Aang sigh as Jeong Jeong’s attention shifted to Sokka.

“Oh, really? What do you know about firebending, oh Master Soulbender?”

“Uh… firebending comes from the breath? And… something about controlling energy?” Sokka tried.

“Hmph, the most basic lesson.”

“Well, the guy who told me said it was the most important lesson in firebending and I’ve used it to make a freaking wall of fire and deflect a fireball so yeah,” Sokka trailed off as he went at the sight of Jeong Jeong’s face. Spirits, why is he defending his firebending knowledge? Stupid Bato and Katara and kind spirit and all of them making him feel better about it.

“Who was it that taught you this lesson?”

“Um… some guy named Iroh? Goes around with the prince jerkbender.”

Jeong Jeong’s eyes widened slightly, and Sokka swore he almost saw a smirk cross his face. As quickly as it came, the expression vanished without a trace.

“You are a more advanced student than I thought. Let me take the avatar up the hill to practice this lesson, and I will return to you. Stay concentrating! I will not be as kind with you as I am with this beginner,” Jeong Jeong motioned to Aang, and Sokka gulped. If he was being lenient on them before, he was terrified of what would happen with him next.

Sokka tried to keep up the concentration, but Jeong Jeong was apparently taking Aang halfway across the kingdom with how long he was gone. The watertribesman’s thighs burned and sweat dripped down his back.

“Hey Katara, you wanna help your brother out and make some ice?” Sokka asked. Katara rolled her eyes from where she was practicing, but nonetheless she started to bend some water toward him. Sokka got excited and straightened from his stance, but in that moment Katara forced the water forward and knocked him clean into the river. Sokka sputtered as Katara laughed.

“Slacking off already I see. No discipline,” Jeong Jeong’s voice came from behind Sokka. The young man cringed and turned toward the master.

“But Katara-!”

“Silence. Get out of the water and back into your stance. We will start to make fire.”

Sokka shook himself off and stepped back up to the stretch of flat rock. Jeong Jeong’s presence was sobering, and Sokka snapped back into focus. He knew he needed to do this, and his father taught him too much respect to waste his master’s time.

“Your limitation is hesitancy. You may have been able to make fire before, but you have yet to consistently produce and control your flames. Today I will teach you a simple form with much versatility. The Dragon’s Lunge.”

In demonstration, Jeong Jeong stepped further away and assumed a similar stance. He breathed in, and on the exhale, he stepped forward and pushed his fist out in a punching gesture. Flames erupted from his clenched fist. He lunged and punched again with his other hand, and flames erupted again. Jeong Jeong went along the length of the river, stopping well short of Katara, and turned around to come back toward Sokka.

“The Dragon’s Lunge is many young firebenders’ first form. I am sure in your unfortunate encounters you have seen this form many, many times. As your skill improves, you will be able perform the Dragon’s Lunge without much of its formality.”

“So basically it's fire-punching.”

Jeong Jeong looked like he was barely containing a fire-punch to Sokka’s face.

“Just begin. Move to where I was, there. Okay, first go through the movement slowly. Step forward with one foot and thrust your same hand forward. Keep your knees bent in a fighting stance, but do not cease the movement of your arm until it is straight. Feel the energy move through you and out your limb. This is the basic principle behind all firebending forms. Posture, breath, power, and release. The reason you do not firebend when moving this slowly is that you lack the power and force of breath required to tap into your inner fire, that energy.”

Sokka listened to Jeong Jeong as he moved slowly through the form. It was very similar to the way his father used to teach him to fight. Careful movements to focus on the proper stance, the right way to move the body so as to not hurt himself.

“You are a surprisingly quick student for one so distracted,” Jeong Jeong commented. “Go ahead and give one Dragon Lunge. See if you can create fire with your movement.”

The watertribesman gulped, but he would not be a coward. Sokka breathed in, deep, reaching into that ever-present warmth, and on the exhale, he stepped forward and punched with as much power as he could muster.

A giant tongue of blue flame burst from his hand, narrowly missing lighting the nearby trees on fire. Jeong Jeong visibly startled at the size of the blast. Sokka immediately dropped his form, but the blast stopped as quickly as it was summoned. Sokka looked down at his fist again, remembering that time that seemed so long ago, back home in his village.

“That is… that is too much power! You have to exercise more control. Keep your breath smoother, a short burst. Keep air in your lungs so you can strike again quickly! Again, two strikes now!”

Sokka did as he was told. He remembered Suki’s lesson again, and the breath control came back to him naturally. He assumed his stance, sucked in air, and punched out with a shorter burst, then again with a second. He still had air and frenetic energy built up inside him, though, so without really thinking, Sokka spun his leg around in a kick he remembered seeing Zuko do when fighting Aang back at the abbey. Fire followed his foot in a wave reminiscent of Boomerang. Sokka straightened, panting but eerily proud.

“Sokka, you did not do as instructed! I said two lunges, and nothing about kicks! You are getting too eager!”

Sokka sombered and turned toward Jeong Jeong, bowing, “Sorry, Master. You are right. I just felt the energy pent up in me and had to expel it. I will control it in the future.”

“You had better, soulbender. You will soon find that you will never be able to fully use that energy inside of you. Where normal firebenders’ power begins and ends in their internal fire, your fire originates beyond you, in the spirit world. Like the avatar, that is where your true power lies. If you one day bend with your soulmate, you will have the power to level cities. Only the avatar will hold more power than you and your other half,” Jeong Jeong said all this tersely, something akin to fear in his eyes, but not quite that far. Sokka gulped.

“Thank you. I understand your warning. It is scary… but I know I need to practice firebending so I can have proper control. I don’t expect to ever have to deal with the kind of power you are talking about, but I’ve seen the damage your average firebender can do. I will not be reckless.”

“Mmm… you remind me of a student I once had, in the way that the cold reminds you of the heat of summer. You are his opposite in many ways. He only wanted the power of firebending. He had no care for its consequences.”

Sokka nodded but did not really know how to respond. Over Jeong Jeong’s shoulder, he saw Aang emerge from the forest.

“Aang!” he called, waving.

Jeong Jeong whipped around, “What are you doing here? I did not tell you to stop!”

“All you’ve had me do for hours is stand around breathing!”

“You want to stop breathing?”

Sokka laughed as Aang and Jeong Jeong continued their squabble. He turned and walked over to his sister, who through all of it was still practicing some of the waterbending forms from the scroll.

“How are you doing, Katara?” Sokka asked as he walked up to her. Katara dropped the stream of water she was working with.

“Pretty well, I think. I am really getting the hang of some of the foundational forms. I think I could even adapt some of them to different moves.”

“Yeah, that’s what Jeong Jeong told me about the form we were working on. It is the foundation for a lot, so it is super versatile. I might be able to make up my own stuff! Oh, like what I did with Boomerang? I just have to think up a good name…”

“Sokka, I don’t think the world of firebending is ready for your naming… skills.”

“Oh, I got one! ‘The Firerang!’ It’s fire and boomerang together, so it’s perfect.”

Katara gave him a humoring look, “Okay, Sokka. When you figure out how to repeat what you did before, you can name the move ‘The Firerang’ if you want.”

Sokka rubbed the back of his neck, “Yeah, I guess I do need to figure out exactly what happened. It is not very scientific if I can’t repeat it. It’s all a part of my method.”

“Your what?”

“My scientific method! I have to come up with a guess of what is going to happen, run tests without anything interfering with it, and make sure I get the same results multiple times. Then I can name whatever I did!”

“That sounds… interesting?” Katara tried. Sokka just laughed. The two siblings turned and started walking toward where Aang was squinting at… a leaf? Jeong Jeong was nowhere in sight. As the pair got closer, Sokka heard Aang complaining.

“Ugh, stupid leaf! Sokka, did he have you do this?” Sokka grimaced.

“Uh, no. He taught me a super basic form. It was like… fire-punching.”

“Argh! I’m the avatar! I don’t have time for all this other stuff. I need to learn how to make fire.”

“Well, to be fair, I have had at least a little experience with firebending before, even if it was super simple or like not exactly on purpose.”

“I think I could do that move those performers were doing at the festival! You know the one where they spun around and-” Aang started to do the movement, and Sokka’s stomach dropped to his feet.

“Aang, be careful!” he called out, but Aang continued the movement. Sokka saw what was happening as if time slowed down. Aang was not controlling the fire as he needed to. It was going to go further than he anticipated, directly toward the siblings.

Before Sokka could process how to deflect the flames, Katara stepped in front of him and held up her hands as if to bend water from the river, probably for a shield. The fire moved too quickly though, and Sokka saw Aang’s horrified expression as the fire burned Katara’s hands before dissipating.

“Katara!” Aang yelled, but Sokka was already holding her as she cradled her burnt hands and sobbed. Sokka felt panic all through him, making him shake with it.

“Katara, why did you do that, I could have, I dunno, I could firebend! I could-” Katara pushed herself away from Sokka and ran off further down the river, out of sight. Sokka immediately felt guilty. He should have thanked her, not lashed out about her protecting him. His guilt quickly deflected into anger. He lashed out and tackled Aang.

“What were you thinking? You burned my sister! You think just because you are the avatar that you are so special, that you can just take shortcuts to bending and that you are the only one that feels pressure to learn for your destiny!”

“Sokka, I’m sorry! I’m-”

“Shut up!” Sokka knew he was lashing out about more than just Katara. Everything was just so pent up inside of him. Yeah, sure, he was getting more comfortable with the idea of firebending, but everything else… The soulbending, Zuko, the pressure to defeat the Fire Nation… It all weighed Sokka down.

“Sokka, I will never firebend again! I swear,” Aang looked up at Sokka. The watertribesman sighed and got off the avatar.

“You will have to, Aang. Just… don’t hurt anyone I care about again. I don’t care if you’re the avatar, or my friend. I can’t let the people I love be heard anymore.”

The word “ _don’t_ ” echoed in Sokka’s memory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Sokka invented the formalized scientific method. Fight me. (lol) A bit of a longer chapter for you! I know I skipped a fair bit of storyline, but I didn't have much inspiration for those episodes. Also, thank you so much for everyone who has left a kudo and a comment! I try to respond to all comments, but it might be delayed or at a weird time because for some reason looking at comments makes me really anxious even though everyone is nice. Anyway, I haven't said this in a while, so I hope you still know you are loved! Even if we are a million miles away and only know each other through this random fanfiction, you are precious to me and deserve all the happiness in the world. I just like to remind people of that because the world is crazy and I don't think we say "I love you" to each other enough. Anyway anyway, yeah, I love you. :)


	7. The Northern Water Tribe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place throughout the episodes at the Northern Water Tribe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being late! Life got crazy this week and I didn't have time to proofread, and believe me I always catch lots of errors so I didn't want to post without really looking this chapter over. I'll be extra sure to get the next chapter out by Wednesday! I'm still working on the final chunk of chapters of this fic. Sozin's Comet is really beating my butt because HEAVENS it is difficult to write bending action. Anyway, I'm doing my best! Thanks for your patience!

Sokka’s heart stopped when he saw her for the first time. Her hair was pure white and seemed to glow in the light. Wait… was she actually glowing? Sokka looked at Princess Yue and swore he saw a halo of light coming off her form. Katara and Aang did not comment on the glowing princess, so Sokka kept his mouth shut. Or shut his mouth. When had it fallen open?

Master Pakku agreed to train Aang in waterbending, which was great. But Sokka could only think about Yue, the glowing girl. She kept flashing him looks as well, which only encouraged the watertribesman. He was determined to find some time to talk to her. He was enraptured. When she offered to meet him that night, on the nearby bridge, Sokka thought his heart would explode.

Sokka got to the bridge early and waited in the moonlight. He felt strangely connected to Yue despite barely knowing her. It was strange, rushed, but still so exhilarating.

Yue approached Sokka slowly, a bright smile on her face.

“Sokka! You came,” she settled next to him, leaning against the railing of the bridge. She looked up and gazed at the moon. She seemed to glow even brighter in the moonlight.

“Wow,” Sokka found himself breathing out, blushing as Yue looked at him. 

“The moon is particularly lovely tonight,” she replied.

“I wasn’t talking about the moon,” Sokka congratulated himself on being suave. Yue giggled slightly. 

“I didn’t think you were. It is so strange, but I really like you, Sokka. It feels like I have known you for a long time already. And you… oh, you will think I’m crazy.”

“No, I won’t,” Sokka said truthfully.

“Well, you give off this kind of… warm glow? Like the sun over the ice in the mornings. I asked one of my friends about it, but she doesn’t see it. Apparently only I do.”

“Oh, I see you glow, too!” Sokka exclaimed before his brain really caught up with the situation. “Wait, I glow?”

“You see me glow? Then that must mean… yes, it makes sense. It must be our connection to the spirit world. Though I don’t remember the avatar giving off that sort of light…”

“Oh, Aang glows when he’s in the Avatar State! His eyes and his arrow thingy get really bright.”

“Hmmm,” Yue hummed.

“I don’t know if I glow because of spirit world stuff, though. I haven’t had the best luck in that department. My sou- the other person doesn’t glow at all when I see them.”

“It might be that they don’t have a strong connection to the spirit world, or it could be because we are so close to a holy place here in the North Pole. Or both even.”

Sokka contemplated that for a moment, just enjoying the comfortable silence next to Yue. Eventually he asked,

“Do you mind if I ask what your connection to the spirit world is? You don’t need to talk about it if you don’t want. I just haven’t heard of people other than soulbenders and the avatar with the sort of connection you mentioned. Certainly no one I’ve met glows from it.”

“I don’t mind. I’ve been touched by the moon. When I was born, I was very weak and sick. I did not cry, or even open my eyes. The midwives said I would die. My father took me to the oasis and submerged me in the waters under the light of the moon. Tui granted me some of its life and saved me. When Tui touched me, my hair turned white, the color of the moon. From then on, I’ve always been a bit closer to the spirit world, though nowhere near what you or the avatar must feel. But under the moon like this, in Tui’s light, I can almost feel that energy inside of me. I feel the pull of La’s current in my bones. I can sense what’s beyond like I can smell the ocean.”

Sokka studies her expression, “That’s beautiful, Yue. You’re beautiful.” He reached a gloved hand to Yue’s face, cupping it in his palm. She turned her eyes to meet his, and Sokka wanted so desperately to kiss her. 

“Sokka, I can’t do this.”

“It’s okay, I get it. You’re a princess, and I’m just a Southern Water Tribe peasant. And I’m a soulbender, which makes things way too complicated.”

“No, Sokka, you don’t get it.”

Yue yanked her parka down partially, revealing the carved betrothal necklace.

“I’m engaged. I can’t!”

The princess turned and ran from the bridge. Sokka just stayed planted, hand extended in her direction. Why could he never catch a break? Why did his heart get him into so much trouble?

Despite Yue running away, Sokka found her the next day and invited her on a walk, assuring her they could still be friends. He liked Yue, but he was not going to force something on her, especially if she was engaged. Sokka liked her too much to not want anything, though. Friendship would have to do.

Eventually they were up in the sky, on Appa’s back. Yue pressed into his side, complaining of the cold. They were both Water Tribe. They could handle the cold. But Sokka did not say anything as he wrapped his arm around her, looked into her eyes, leaned forward…

“Yep, sure is cold!” Sokka awkwardly interjected as he pulled away. Both he and Yue were blushing hard. Sokka’s mind reeled until he noticed the black snow falling from the sky around them. Off in the far distance, Fire Nation ships sailed north.

Sokka rushed Appa back to the city, setting him down and helping Yue off and up the steps toward her home. Yue yanked her hand from his.

“Sokka, I can’t just be friends with you, I like you too much. Being around you is too confusing.”

“Why not? You don’t love the man you’re engaged to. You don’t even seem to like the guy!”

“I have a duty to my tribe and my people, Sokka.”

“You aren’t marrying them!”

“I have a duty!”

“You think I don’t get that,” Sokka’s eyes alighted with anger. “I’ve been told so many times over the past few months that I have a destiny, and that destiny is tied to a jerk that has been trying to kill the people I care about for as long as I’ve known them! And I’m supposedly supposed to shack up with this person and change the world! I don’t get a choice apparently, but I’ve tried to choose you. And you… you just won’t choose me back!”

Yue cried and ran past Sokka. “I’m sorry!” she breathed as she went. Sokka gazed after her, tears in his eyes as well. His heart ached. He did not know love would feel like this. All hollow and painful but still not something he would ever want to get rid of. It was terrifying. He silently cursed the kind spirit. So much for kindness. Sokka never got to be happy.

That is one of the reasons he volunteered to fight the Fire Nation. He thought he might as well do something that mattered in this war, but ultimately Yue’s father assigned him to be her protector. Yeah, it sucked that Sokka would not get to use his own plan and knowledge, but at least it helped. And as much as it hurt, at least he would see Yue again.

As Sokka left the men to go find his charge, Chief Arnook stopped him.

“I don’t think you ever mentioned, Sokka, but what kind of bending do you practice? I imagine since you did not join the avatar and your sister in being trained by Master Pakku that you are not a waterbender.”

“Um, no, I’m not. I haven’t been formally trained yet, not enough at least. I won’t use my bending, but I am more than capable of protecting Princess Yue.”

The chief’s eyes narrowed at him, definitely noticing the not-answer to the question. 

“Fine, Sokka. I trust you, or I would not have picked you. You are clever, and being clever is the most important quality in a soldier.”

Sokka quirked his head at that, but Chief Arnook looked as if he had no interest in continuing the conversation. The watertribesman felt a swell of pride at the compliment regardless. 

The night was long, and the Fire Nation barrage was endless. It was all Sokka could do to even make it to Yue, then on to the oasis. By the time he found Katara, prone on the ground, the sun crested the horizon. 

“Katara!” Sokka cried, jumping off Appa and running toward her as Yue trailed behind. She had been very quiet through the whole ordeal, but she never once protested Sokka holding her hand.

“I’m fine, Sokka, but… Zuko took Aang! He got him right out from under me! Aang is still in the spirit world and couldn’t do anything after the sun rose, and I just let Zuko take him!” Katara angrily huffed. “We need to go after them.”

“First of all, it is not your fault, Katara. I am sure you gave one heck of a fight. And second, yeah, let’s go find them. I have Appa, let’s go.”

The three all climbed onto Appa and took off into the air, desperately looking for any sight of Aang or his captor. The snow picked up, and it was hard to see, even flying closer to the ground.

“How are we going to find them in this?” Katara asked, desperate. 

Sokka got an idea.

“Wait, I have an idea! He’s like, in the spirit world, right? That means-” Sokka looked toward Yue, and she was immediately on the same page.

“I might be able to sense him! Or his spirit, at least. But his spirit is not with his body right now?”

“Yeah, but it has to go back eventually, right?” 

“Sokka, you’re a genius!” Katara praised. Sokka shot her a grin and put his hand on Yue’s shoulder. She did not waste time. She closed her eyes and focused.

“I think… I think he’s really far away. I can feel him, but it’s… there is too much in the way. I don’t think I’m strong enough to follow it,” Yue opened her eyes and looked at the siblings, disappointment written all over her face.

“Do you think I could help somehow?” Sokka asked.

“I hadn’t thought of that. Maybe? Your connection is stronger than mine. I might be able to use it to get a better sense of the other side.”

“Okay.”

Katara watched the pair as Sokka grabbed Yue’s hands. She clasped them tightly, even through their thick gloves. She leaned forward, and Sokka found himself doing the same until they were touching, forehead-to-forehead. A yanking sensation nearly made Sokka gasp. Yue scrunched her face up tightly, and Sokka closed his eyes.

When Sokka closed his eyes, it eerily felt like he was opening them. Behind his lids, he saw the landscape around them in vivid detail, down to the individual flecks of snow. His vision tilted and shifted in a way he was not happy to say was becoming familiar. He felt Yue in front of him, her spirit searching and somehow more ethereal than other people like Katara. She looked all white, like she was made of moonlight.

Suddenly, like a flaming arrow, a spirit that could only be Aang launched across the horizon. Sokka watched him fly across the landscape and toward a small cave the group would never have spotted if they had not been looking for it. Sokka yanked back from Yue and opened his eyes. He had to blink several times to reorient his perspective. Yue turned to Katara before Sokka fully recovered. 

“We saw him! That way! There is a cave,” Yue pointed in the direction she and Sokka saw Aang’s spirit flying. Soon, the group landed Appa nearby. Aang was already outside in his physical form, an unconscious Zuko at the mouth of the cavern. Sokka felt hatred in his gut at the sight of him.

“Guys, you found me!”

“Of course we would!. Get on Appa. We need to get back.”

“We can’t leave him; he’ll freeze to death,” Aang said as he grabbed the Fire Nation prince and brought him up onto Appa. He was tied up, but Sokka was still uneasy.

“Of course, bring along the guy that has been trying to kill us for months. That makes sense.”

Aang just gave Sokka a sympathetic look, which was super strange in Sokka’s opinion. Katara and Yue gave no comment as they all made their way back toward the Northern Water Tribe. Then everything went red.

Yue told Aang and Katara about what happened when she was a baby, and Sokka tried to fight the feeling of dread that seized his heart and made it beat a million times a minute. 

Appa landed in the oasis to the sight of the pointy-sideburned Fire Nation guy (Zhao? Sokka tried to remember) holding up a wet bag toward the blood-red moon. Sokka noticed Zuko’s uncle, Iroh, on the opposite side of the pond. Zhao ranted about being the man to kill the moon, and Aang and Iroh both jumped to try and deter the insane man.

Before either could do anything, Zhao blasted the bag. The moon went completely dark, and Sokka felt like he had been sucker punched. He was nauseous; he thought he would vomit. Iroh yelled and began attacking the Fire Nation soldier, and Sokka could not stop himself from responding. He felt so angry, but it was like the anger was coming from someplace bigger than him.

As Aang did spirits-know-what, Sokka leapt off Appa and swiftly punched toward the nearest soldier. The man was obviously not expecting the lick of flame that jetted from Sokka’s extended fist, and he flew off his feet and landed with a thud. Sokka caught the incoming flash of fire from his left and deflected the flame toward another soldier. He admitted that his moves were sloppy, but fortunately Iroh was there to ensure all the soldiers were taken out. Sokka surveyed the downed men and noted with dismay that Zhao was not among them.

“Sokka, your firebending has come a long way since the last time I was able to speak with you,” Iroh remarked. Sokka did not respond, but he knew the old man would not be listening anyway. Iroh’s attention already snapped to the burned bag resting by the lip of the pool. He carefully pulled out a dead koi, the vessel of Tui. 

“We’re too late,” Yue sobbed.

“Maybe not,” Iroh turned to her. Something silent passed between them, and Yue’s eyes widened with understanding. She moved toward Iroh’s outstretched hands holding the koi.

“Yue, what are you doing?” Sokka already knew, but he did not want to believe it. His heart thundered in his chest.

“Tui granted me life. I can give that life back,” she said it simply, but the weight of her words settled on everyone’s shoulders. Sokka openly cried. Yue grabbed Sokka’s hand for a moment and squeezed it before turning back to Iroh. 

Princess Yue laid her hands on the dead creature. A strange glow filled the air, making it hard for Sokka to see at all. When his vision cleared, Iroh lowered the now-living koi into the pool. In front of Sokka was an amazing vision.

Yue glowed fully white as she did earlier when Sokka glimpsed her through spirit world sight. Only this time, she glowed even brighter with all the light of the moon behind her and through her. She was even more beautiful as her hair and clothes floated around her as if she was under water. She lowered toward where Sokka was on his knees. He did not remember collapsing.

“Sokka, I will always be with you,” she almost whispered as she kissed him. Sokka cupped her face, as if to keep her from leaving him. He choked out a broken sob as the solid weight of her disappeared from under his hand. He dimly felt Katara’s arms around his shoulders, cradling him as he cried harder than he had since his mother died. 

“Why… why do they always leave me?” Sokka asked into the fabric of Katara’s parka. He sobbed harder. “Why do they always die?”

Katara just rubbed the back of his neck and shaved head with her gloved hand. She knew there were not any words that would be of comfort to Sokka now. 

Turns out while all that happened Aang entered the Avatar State and partnered with La to destroy the entire Fire Nation armada, but the victory felt hollow in Sokka’s chest. He gazed up at the moon as everyone celebrated around him. 

Chief Arnook joined Sokka as he gazed up at Yue.

“I had a vision, when Yue was born. I saw a strong, brave young woman become the moon spirit. I knew this day would come.”

Sokka did not really know what to say, “You must be so proud.”

“So proud. And so sad.”

They gazed up at Yue for a while longer, sharing their grief in silence. Eventually, Chief Arnook turned, having to go back to his duties. Sokka had a sudden thought.

“Wait, you didn’t get a chance to say goodbye,” he started. “What if… what if I could help with that? I don’t know for sure if I can, but I could try?”

Arnook looked at Sokka with an expression that seemed at once joyous and pained. 

“Do- do you really think I might be able to?” his voice cracked.

“Yue and I were able to commune together and look into the spirit world. I remember what we did and how it felt. I can try to do it with you,” Sokka’s voice grew more confident as he spoke. Heck, if he was going to have these weird spirit world powers, he was going to use them to do this. This one kind thing, to alleviate even the slightest amount of pain.

Arnook nodded and followed Sokka’s lead. The younger man motioned for the other to sit directly in front of him and clasps their hands together. It was not even awkward as they leant forward to touch their foreheads together. They were both two focused on the daunting task at hand. 

Before, Yue guided Sokka, but now he needed to guide someone not even with a special connection to the spirit world. Yue did say Sokka’s connection was more powerful than hers, so he hoped it would be enough. He breathed in and reached down past that warmth within himself. He closed his eyes.

Instead of a yank, he felt himself pull Arnook with him into the shifted landscape that is this version of spirit sight. Sokka opened his spirit-eyes and looked up toward the moon. There, clear as day, was Yue.

Sokka heard a gasp and turned to see Arnook gazing at his daughter in her spirit form. He got up and ran to her, and Sokka got the surreal experience of watching Arnook leave his body behind to do so. Sokka did likewise, and the pain in his heart only grew as he approached Yue again.

Arnook grabbed his daughter’s floating form and pulled her into a hug. While she did not really touch the ground, she still grabbed onto him just as fiercely. 

“Dad,” she choked. She did not cry, but that one word held all the emotion Arnook needed.

“My precious Yue. I always knew this day would come, but I never… I thought knowing it would happen, knowing it would be for a noble purpose… I thought that might help it hurt less. But it doesn’t. I hurt so much,” the chief began crying softly. 

“Dad, you may not see me, but I will always be with you. As long as the moon hangs in the sky, your daughter will be there, loving you.”

“I just… I can’t help thinking of all the mistakes I made. I shouldn’t have forced you into that engagement. How much of your life did I waste trying to-”

“Stop. Regret will do nothing, especially when my fate was destined from the day I was born. I love you, Dad. We have this moment to say goodbye. Let’s not waste it.”

“I love you, Yue,” Arnook sobbed, holding his daughter tighter. They both stayed like that for several long minutes. Eventually, Arnook pulled away.

“Goodbye, Daughter,” the words sounded like they were ripped from Arnook’s throat.

“Goodbye, Dad.”

Chief Arnook turned and resolutely walked toward his body. Sokka knew it was time to go. He got his moment to say bye.

“Sokka,” Yue called. “Thank you. If you ever need me, you now know how to find me.”

And she vanished.

Sokka fought the urge to scream.

When the two men blinked themselves back to awareness of their world, they did not say anything to each other. Arnook wiped the tears from his face and clapped his hand onto Sokka’s shoulder. There were no words, but the chief’s thanks was conveyed clearly enough. 

When Sokka joined Katara and Aang, grief still stabbed his chest. He gazed up at Yue, and a strange sort of peace settled over his heart. The grief was still there, probably always would be, but Yue made her presence known in that moment. He would not ever really be without her.

But he would not ever get to be with her.

_ A great love lost _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Low key the entire inspiration for this chapter was the fact that Arnook didn't get to have any sort of final moment with his daughter and we stan closure in this house. As always, thanks for reading, and I love you!


	8. The Cave of Two Lovers - The Swamp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sections take place during "The Cave of Two Lovers" and "The Swamp" respectively.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up: I have to move my update day to Thursdays because for some reason life decided Wednesdays were cursed. I'll be keeping this day regularly from now on.

“Oh great!” Sokka cried out, exasperated. The entrance to the tunnel behind them was sealed by a great mass of rocks and earth, and there was no way to get out of the cave but to go forward.

“It’s okay, Sokka. We’ll get through this,” Aang tried to cheer him up. 

“Yeah, man” Chong chimed in. “Love will guide the way. And you’re, you’re like a soulbender man so you’re the most in-tuned with love of all of us.”

“Aang,” Sokka gritted through his teeth, “When we get to Omashu, please remind me to buy an eyepatch.”

Things only got worse when Appa’s freak out caused Sokka to be  _ stuck _ with the nomads. They were constantly singing, and it made Sokka want to crawl up a wall. It got even worse when he realized that the majority of their torches got lost in the chaos.

Sokka’s map was not helping at all, and the final torch was flickering low in his hand. The band all gathered around him. 

“Man, we should sing a love song, not follow a map. The only map we need is our hearts,” the leader chimed. Sokka felt a vein in his forehead about ready to burst. The torch flickered again.

As the flame started to sputter, Sokka focused on its energy. He reached up his free hand and cupped the flame, imagining it following his hand and staying there. Sokka grinned in spite of the situation when he was successful. In his hand, he held a little ball of fire, a firebending powered torchlight. 

“Woah dude, a Water Tribe person who can firebend? The spirit world has mad irony. It’s rad.”

Sokka fought the urge to use the fire to roast his traveling companions. 

The troop traveled on through the labyrinth, and Sokka’s hope continued to dwindle. He was about ready to resign himself to a very unfortunate death when he came across a more open space, almost like a room. In the center looked to be some kind of memorial. Sokka made his flame a little larger to see it better. The writing was very old and archaic, but it said something like “the tomb of the two lovers.”

“These must be the lovers from the story! The ones who put the curse on this place. This place has all sorts of negative vibes, man. Let’s get going,” Chong sounded nervous, but Sokka felt strangely drawn to the tomb. He walked closer, the troop behind him held hostage by his firelight. They drew near enough that Sokka could see the inscription more clearly, as well as an intricate carving of a jasmine plant. Instinctually, he put his hand to the engraving.

Everything tilted as Sokka smelled jasmine. He cursed the kind spirit and the spirit world at large.

Sokka took stock of his surroundings. He was in a clearing with forest on all sides. The grass below his feet was soft and dewy in the moonlight.

A figure entered the meadow. It was a young woman, maybe only a few years older than Sokka. She had the darker complexion of the Water Tribes, but she wore traditional Earth Kingdom clothing. She looked around nervously, and Sokka realized quickly that she could not see him. She moved toward some plants in the clearing and started collecting them in a basket. She looked up again to check around her, and Sokka gasped when he saw that she had one crystal blue eye, one eye the ruddy color of clay. 

Another figure entered the clearing. A young man who seemed to be roughly the woman’s age. He immediately spotted the woman and called out,

“Hey! Who are you?”

The woman sprang up and turned toward the intruder. 

“Stay back, I’m an earthbender!” she called. She dropped the basket and assumed a stance Sokka recognized from the likes of Haru and other earthbenders he had met. 

“Me, too!” the man yelled back. Sokka watched as the two promptly started hurling rocks at each other; they seemed evenly matched. 

The woman got a good hit in, though, and lunged forward to give a decisive strike. Sokka saw it a second later than she did. The man had one crystal blue eye, one eye the ruddy color of clay. They were mirror images of each other. 

“What! This can’t be! You’re an enemy of my people,” the woman cried out, her voice pained and desperate.

The man looked up from where he lay prone on the ground.

“And you are an enemy of my people, but here we are. Fate has brought us together it seems.”

After a moment of consideration, the woman gave her hand. 

“My name is Oma,” she said it like a peace offering. As she helped the man up, he replied,

“I’m Shu.”

Something passed between them.

“I’m trying to gather herbs for my village. We have several who are sick.”

“Is it an illness with pox?”

“Yes, how did you know?”

“Several in my village are sick as well. It seems we were sent for the same herbs.”

“There are plenty here. For both villages.”

The two soulbenders continued on in silence collecting plants from the clearing, only pausing to wave goodbye to the other. Shu stopped a moment later, calling out,

“Wait, there is a cave up the mountain. Meet me there next half moon?”

Oma considered it a moment.

“I will be there.”

The scene shifted, and Sokka was now at the mouth of the cave he hated so much. Snow fell slowly, the entire landscape coated in winter frost. A considerable bit of time must have passed. 

“Oma, look at what the badger moles showed me while I was waiting for you to show up,” Shu called out as Oma approached. He bent a cylinder up from the earth, then a triangular piece sticking up from the surface of the cylinder.

“It’s a sundial! I’ll show you how I did it so you’re not late next time,” he joked. 

Oma laughed as she walked up and allowed herself to be swept up into an embrace. They stayed close together, foreheads touching, for several long moments.

“Shu, let’s get through our forms. I’m sorry, but I have to get back home quickly. I leave early tomorrow. My grandmother is sick all the way back in the South Pole, and I need to go visit her in case this is the last time I have the chance.”

“I understand, my love.”

Sokka followed the couple as they entered the caves, guided by glowing crystals on the ceiling of the tunnel. The pair stopped in a large open room, one Sokka recognized as the tomb. The path to the room and the room itself were lit with glowing crystals in the ceiling and walls.

The pair stood in front of one another and bowed deeply. They stepped close together and linked hands, foreheads pressed together one again. When they stepped back and opened their eyes, they glowed like Sokka had seen Aang’s eyes glow. He marveled at it. He only grew more impressed as they started going through their bending forms.

They were unlike any forms Sokka had seen. The two soulbenders moved as if they were extensions of the same body, not two independent benders working together. They were of one mind, shifting the earth around them in amazing gestures. Time flew by as Sokka watched the masters.

The pair came together at the end of their display the same way they had started it, though when they stepped away and opened their eyes this time, there was no mystical light. Only two sets of eyes gazing fondly at one another.

Oma leaned up slightly and kissed Shu’s lips.

“I love you. I will see you when I return from my trip. I will let you know I am returning as soon as I am close enough.”

Shu held her for another moment and whispered, “I will be counting the days.”

“Please don’t let our villages destroy each other while I am gone, alright?”

“I promise.”

Sokka was whisked away again, and this time he found himself standing on a large, open expanse of land. The woods were in the distance, as well as two small towns on opposite sides of the expanse. The watertribesman watched as a large group of men clashed in the field, weapons flailing and many falling to the ground.

Shu rushed toward the skirmish. He used his earthbending to separate the groups of men the best he could. 

“Stop fighting!” He screamed out. “Can’t you see that this is pointless?”

“Leave us be, soulbender! This does not concern you!” one of the men yelled back.

“It does concern me! You are my people! Both of you! I love Oma dearly, and she would weep if she saw our people fighting each other yet again!” Shu moved between the groups of men. “Please, can’t you see that Oma and I were born for a reason? We’re two halves of a whole, one from each of these villages. We’re supposed to unite and live as one people!”

Another man called out, “Leave us! I knew that soulbending nonsense was bad news. You’ve put that woman before your own village, your people! Let us fight!”

“No!” Shu was nearly hysterical. “I won’t let anyone hurt anyone else! The bloodshed has to e-“

A spear rammed straight through Shu’s chest. He clutched at the shaft as he fell, betrayal and pain etched across his features before they went blank.

Sokka blinked and found himself on a stretch of dirt road. Oma kneeled before him, clutching at her chest and screaming. Her eyes lit up with the spirit world light and she took off like an arrow, surfing over the ground. She soon reached the land the men were fighting over. 

Oma lashed out and sent all the men reeling. The ground quaked with every grieved scream that scraped its way through her lungs. The ground below everyone started to fold in on itself, the land becoming a great mound with the towns drawn ever closer together with each pull of earth. 

“This is the day the fighting ends! I could wipe you all from the face of this world if I wanted to, but you are lucky I answer to a kind spirit. You destroyed the one I love, one who only wanted peace  _ because _ he wanted peace! Do you not feel shame? By killing Shu, you have killed us both! How many more children of our villages need to die before the bloodshed ends? How many!”

Oma collapsed to the ground. The towns were now steps away from each other on a large hill of earth, a towering mound. The villagers were unharmed but shaken, and many emerged from their homes and streets to join the men who had been fighting when the quakes began. Sokka watched alongside them as Oma dragged herself along the jagged ground she created toward the forgotten body of Shu. 

She pulled herself up onto his chest and with a squelch pulled the spear out. It dropped to the ground beside her and rolled, spreading a streak of red. She fell onto her lover’s, her soulmate’s chest, and died.

The world shifted again, and Sokka stood in the streets of Omashu. The people around him bustled and laughed and went on their way. This is the town Oma created. Oma and Shu. 

As it all sunk in for Sokka, he got hung up on one thing…

_ By killing Shu, you have killed us both! _

Another voice flickered across the back of his mind. He smelled jasmine.

_ It is not often that soulbenders’ lives are cut short, but when they are, the shared part of their soul pulls the other with them to the spirit world. I wanted you to see. This knowledge has been lost to history after centuries of peaceful unions. You must be careful. _

The watertribesman blinked as the world righted itself. He was back in the tomb. His fire still flickered in his hand. He sighed.

“Hey, man, you okay? You kinda went quiet for a minute there.”

Sokka looked at Chong and did not bother warning the troop before he extinguished the light. The band exclaimed in panic before the dark settled in and the glowing crystals in the ceiling began shedding their light.

“We can follow the crystals out of the cave,” Sokka informed.

“Wow, this is going to make for a great song one day! I think I have an idea for how it should go. Improv with me, guys! SECRET TUNNEL~...”

Sokka did his best to ignore them as he led the way from the cave. His eyes widened as he saw the literal light at the end of the tunnel. He got even more excited to see Aang and Katara, alongside Appa, already waiting outside.

Thank the spirits, they separated from the nomads and made their way to Omashu without musical accompaniment. As Team Avatar walked, Sokka thought about the story of the two lovers, the two soulbenders. Their story ended in tragedy, but they did ultimately change the world for the better. But where was their happiness? It seemed so unfair that they had to die to fulfill their destiny. Would that be what was required of Sokka? And what if the whole destiny thing did not happen? He was bound to Zuko, Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, jerkbender that wants to kill them. Did Zuko know that killing Sokka might kill him, too? And what happens when they take down the Fire Lord? If Zuko is loyal to his father, he will not just let Aang kill his dad. If someone has to kill Zuko, what happens to Sokka? It made the watertribesman‘s head hurt from more than just the constant slapping he was doing back in the cave. He tried not to think about the parallels to his own life too much more.

The gang crested the final hill overlooking Omashu, and they were met with a horrific sight. The Fire Nation banner flew over the city. Sokka took it in and thought of Oma and Shu, and he hoped they were not turning over in their graves.

—————

Sokka trudged through the swampy water and mud, cursing Aang and the spirits and honestly anyone he could think of. He used his machete to hack through the vines the best he could, but the swamp was dense with the stuff.

As Sokka made his way through trying to find the group, a figure caught the corner of his eye. The figure turned and ran deeper into the swamp before Sokka could really see who it was.

“Hey!” Sokka cried out. “Do you know a way out of here? Or have you seen my friends? One’s a girl that looks kinda like me? And a little boy with an arrow on his head?”

The figure did not respond, so Sokka gave chase. This was the first person Sokka had seen for hours, and he needed at least something to work with. He was not going to die from getting lost in a swamp of all places. The other took off through the vines and branches.

Sokka had to hop over protruding roots and navigate around particularly thick patches of mud, but he managed to gain on the figure. As he grew nearer, Sokka realized it was definitely the figure of a man with a mop of black hair and the dark red clothing of the average fire nation citizen. There was something familiar about him…

The watertribesman came to a complete stop. He cursed the spirits again. Of all the people to meet in this swamp…

Sokka’s heart nearly climbed up his throat when Zuko dropped down in front of him from the branches above. 

“Hey, Sokka, why’d you stop? I thought we were having fun?” Zuko’s hair was much longer now, not in its stupid baldy ponytail. The way it hung made Zuko look younger, softer. The scar still marred the left side of his face, but it did not seem so harsh now.

“What are you talking about? I’m lost in a swamp and I don’t know where my friends are and the first human being I find is the jerkbender that’s been trying to kill us for months. Why are you even here?”

Sokka stayed defensive, holding his machete up slightly and ready to spring if Zuko decided to attack him. He was surprised when instead the firebender looked around him suddenly, surprised. He wiped his eyes with his fists and looked around again. He seemed confused for a moment before his mouth formed a silent “oh.”

“I see, so this is how it happened,” Zuko finally spoke.

“How what happened?” Sokka grew more tense.

“You told me once that we met here in a swamp, but I hadn’t ever been to a swamp. This must be what you meant.”

“Okay, okay, just for a second, I’m going to go along with the crazy coming out of your mouth. When would we ever have a conversation about your swamp-going habits?”

“You told me about it after we- oh.”

“What?” Sokka saw the shocked look on Zuko’s face and demanded the answer.

“I probably shouldn’t tell you. I think it’s in the future for you. It’s like… spoiling it for you.”

“Argh! That is insane! Even if it could be true, why would you be here now? Like why the you you are now here now? Ugh, that makes no sense!”

Zuko’s brow creased as he watched Sokka tangle his fingers into his hair, tearing a fair bit of it out of his wolf tail in frustration. His eyes were… sympathetic? Sokka wanted to scream.

“Maybe… maybe to show you that things will be okay? Or, well, I don’t know if things will be okay, but where I’m at right now… I think you’re happier? I hope you’re happier. I don’t fully get it, ‘cause I don’t know how I- well, yeah. Maybe that is supposed to help you? Have you been feeling particularly down lately?”

Sokka struggled to process what Zuko said, especially the awkward sincerity of it all. He was struggling to process a lot of things nowadays. 

“I just learned that if you die I die and vice versa, so yeah that has been a bit stressful.”

“Oh,” Zuko nodded. “Well, you don’t die before where I’m at now, so I guess that’s good?”

“Is that supposed to be comforting? I don’t die and for some reason we are friendly and I’m happier. Sounds like future-me has lost his mind. I think I’d rather die than be on good terms with you. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

Shockingly,  _ hurt _ flashed across Zuko’s features. 

“You told me how much you hated me then. It made sense. The first time we talked I told you I was going to murder you in front of my father. My soulmate. I didn’t know about the soulmate-spirit connection thing then. I guess I should be extra glad the Southern Raiders failed to kill you when we were kids. But yeah, it hits differently to hear you say those things and mean them. I’m sorry for all the pain I’ve caused you. Will cause you,” the last bit made Zuko cringe and grit his teeth. Sokka swore he saw  _ tears _ .

“You are really freaking me out,” Sokka backed away from Zuko slowly. He had no idea what to do with this interaction, and he needed to get out as quickly as possible. The prince looked up at the watertribesman through his bangs and smiled softly, a meek little thing. It was still the happiest expression Sokka had ever seen on Zuko’s face. Between one blink and the next, the figure of Zuko disappeared from Sokka’s vision.

_ Spirits _ , Sokka thought as he thumped his head.  _ There must be crazy-juice in this swamp water. What kind of a hallucination was that? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eyyyyyyyyy more lore for you! I didn't want to straight up exposition you to death, but there were a couple things that might not be super clear. I put them below so you can skip if you don't care too much. Also, this chapter officially earned us the tag "Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck." Lol. Thank you for reading, and I love you! Digitally greet you next Thursday!
> 
> 1) We learn from the story that soulbenders can manifest their given element before meeting their soulmate. Sokka just didn't because he was not even entertaining the notion of being a firebender, and the South Pole is not really the best place for a burgeoning firebender. 
> 
> 2) While not a guarantee, it is most likely that a watertribesperson's soulmate is from the nation of whatever they bend, hence Oma going to live with distant relatives in the Earth Kingdom to have a better chance at finding her soulmate. 
> 
> 3) Swamp-Zuko may or may not be actual future Zuko, I honestly haven't decided. I don't think I'll make a big deal of it unless I decide to write something from Zuko's perspective (which would not happen in this fic), so for now that interpretation is completely up to you. :) 
> 
> PS- If you managed to avoid getting it stuck in your head... SECRET TUNNEL~


	9. The Blind Bandit - The Chase - The Desert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sections take place in “The Blind Bandit,” “The Chase,” and “The Desert” respectively.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s still Thursday in my time zone!

“Okay, let me get this straight… You are twelve.”

“Yep.”

“And you are a pro-bender.”

“Yep.”

“A famous pro-bender.”

“Yep.”

“How exactly does that happen? You are a _child_.”

“Hey! I’ve proven myself worthy on the field of battle!”

“Yeah, I saw that, but _how_ do you get to that point? Who was like, ‘oh, a tiny child, let’s put her in an arena in mortal danger ‘cause she says she can bend good?’”

“I might have bribed my way into my first match, but everyone saw what I can do!”

“Yeah, _everyone_ . You are telling me in the months you have been pro-bending that not _one_ concerned citizen brought up the fact that a _child_ was competing in pro-bending?”

“It’s not like it's illegal.”

“It _should_ be! Am I the only one that thinks this?”

Sokka looked toward Aang and Katara. His sister was looking pointedly away. Aang turned from where he was guiding Appa.

“Well, Sokka, I’m just glad I found an earthbending master. I don’t care how we found her.”

“What is _wrong_ with you people!”

“You're starting to sound like my parents, Stinky.”

“First of all, no, because your parents were extremely overprotective because they thought you being blind meant you were helpless. That is very different than being a reasonable adult and not tolerating blatant child endangerment!”

“You’re an adult?” Toph tilted her head and laughed maniacally. 

“He came of age just a few months before we met Aang,” Katara supplied.

“Oh, so you’re not an adult!”

“What! Of course I am? Didn’t you hear?”

“Yeah, it’s my eyes that don’t work, dummy. Just ‘cause you’re of age doesn’t mean you’re an adult. You gotta act like it.”

“I _do_ act like it!”

“See, you’re whining like a baby.”

“I am not!”

“Are to!”

“Am not!”

“Are to!”

“Children!” Katara yelled over the bickering. Sokka and Toph immediately shut up. Sokka gave Toph a look he knew she could not see, but he trusted she got the vibe either way. He sighed and settled back against Appa’s saddle to get some rest.

It seems Katara had settled that argument.

—————

Appa beat down his tail, sending the two Fire Nation women hunting Sokka and Katara hurtling into the river. Sokka sighed with relief from where he collapsed on the ground. Katara managed to tug her arms free of the knives pinning her sleeves and helped Sokka back up and onto Appa.

“Come on, we need to go help Aang,” she said, and Sokka nodded the best he could in return. Katara basically dragged his limp body up into Appa’s saddle, but as the air bison took off Sokka felt some tingling in his limbs. He twitched his toes and fingers until he got circulation back and had the worst case of pins-and-needles of his life. It was better than being paralyzed though.

Spirits, they needed to rest. Sokka felt his eyelids drooping even as he knew they were heading into what was undoubtedly trouble. As the tingling gradually subsided, he realized the flicker inside him was acting up more than usual. Did that mean…?

Sokka got the answer to his question as he rushed into the abandoned town alongside his sister. Katara narrowly made it in time to save Aang from the third Fire Nation girl that had been chasing them. Katara drove the girl into the street, and Sokka ran up and swung his club at her. She nimbly avoided his swings and aimed a fire-punch for his abdomen. The watertribesman put his forearms up in a block and separated them quickly, dispersing the energy of the strike. The firebender girl’s eyes widened before she smirked and continued her steady retreat toward one of the nearby alleyways. 

Due to the stirrings in his gut, Sokka was not surprised when Zuko dropped in out of nowhere to assist in cornering the Fire Nation girl. Said girl looked like she was ready to fight them all until the earth shifted under her feet. As she fell, Sokka saw Toph and grinned despite the circumstances of their parting. It was good to have the gang back together. Plus Zuko. And was that his uncle?

The group advanced on the Fire Nation girl, everyone fanning out in a semicircle. The girl surveyed the group and put her hands up. 

“Azula, it’s over!” Zuko growled out.

“Oh, I know, Zuzu. The avatar, my brother and his soulmate, the whole crew, a Fire Nation princess knows when to give up with honor,” she smirked as Zuko sputtered. He quickly recovered, and the moment stretched way too long. Sokka did not trust her, especially considering she was apparently Zuko’s sister. He did not really trust Zuko, either, but apparently Sokka’s internal danger-meter put the prince at a lower priority. 

Azula proved his distrust right when she suddenly lashed out and shot Iroh with a ball of flame. Sokka could not see where she went, though, because as Zuko called out to his uncle, it felt like the watertribeman’s heart was _exploding_. 

Sokka choked and bent over, nearly crashing to his knees. He wretched, nothing coming up. He clutched at his chest and legitimately thought he was about to die. Pain wracked through him, but he realized it was not really physical. It started deeper than any physical pain he had ever felt. He managed to come back to his senses just in time to hear Katara start,

“Zuko, I can help-”

“Leave!”

“But-”

“ _Leave!_ ” the prince screamed as he lashed out with a wave of flame. Sokka reflexively spun his leg in a kick to deflect the wave up and away from the group, though he expected it would go too high even without his help. Better safe than sorry.

Katara’s face fell, and Aang took her arm to start leading her away. Sokka still felt the pain in his chest and had a sudden moment of insight.

“No,” he found himself saying, approaching Zuko.

“Can you not hear! Leave us! Go away! We don’t want your help!” The prince spat the words as if they were acid, like Sokka would flee from them. He did not.

“No, I feel it. You’re hurting. You’re scared. It is making you sick; you’re not thinking straight. Your uncle is seriously hurt. Do you really want to risk losing him?” Sokka’s voice was surprisingly calm, gentle. He did feel it though. That pain, that fear, it was familiar. It reminded him of what he felt when Yue stepped toward the dead moon spirit. That fear of losing her.

“We don’t need your help! I got him into this. I can take care of him,” Zuko growled, but now Sokka could hear the panic in it. 

“Zuko,” Sokka realized that was the first time he had addressed the prince directly by his name. “You are going to stand up and come stand by me. You are going to let my sister heal your uncle. Then you can both leave and do whatever you want. You know this is the right thing to do.”

Sokka did not take another step closer to the prince, but he did not back away either. He crossed his arms and tried not to show any shock when, with a final squeeze to Iroh’s hand, Zuko stood and moved toward Sokka. He walked until he was beside the other young man and turned to watch as Katara cautiously approached the wounded man. She shot Sokka a confused side-eye as she passed, which Sokka responded to with a slight shrug. 

Katara had been working for nearly a full minute before Zuko spoke.

“You said you felt it.”

“What?”

“My… pain.”

“Oh, yeah,” Sokka mentally slapped himself. It was too awkward for him to think straight. And he was tired.

“I think I know what you’re talking about. I felt something… like that before.”

“Really?”

Zuko shifted from foot to foot, never taking his eyes off his uncle. 

“Yeah, as Uncle and I were fleeing the North Pole. When the moon came back, and for a while after. Did… did you lose someone?”

Sokka felt the familiar gnawing in his chest hit him with force. He still missed Yue every day. He had not visited her again since helping her father say goodbye. He thought giving it time would help with the grief. Nothing really helped.

“I’m assuming the answer is yes. I felt it,” Zuko sounded a little breathless. If he was feeling even a fraction of what just landed on Sokka, then he got the feeling. They stayed silent for another minute. Sokka thought about whether he blamed Zuko for Yue. He found he did not, well, not uniquely. He was a part of things, sure, but he was quickly learning that destiny was almost impossible to escape. It filled him with resentment, toward the spirits and especially the kind spirit, but not necessarily at Zuko directly. What happened to Yue was foreseen. It would have happened with or without Zuko in that process. 

Inevitability. Fate. It weighed on Sokka. He glanced over at the young man next to him. Apparently this guy was his destiny. Sokka really took him in. He did not have that weird bald ponytail situation anymore. He looked like he was growing his hair out, though it was still short all over his head. Sokka could not see Zuko’s scar from this side. The prince’s expression was tense as he watched Katara work. By this point, she had removed the burned and melted clothing from around Iroh’s wound and was well on her way to healing it. Iroh seemed to be awake from the way he was scrunching up his face in pain, but he said nothing. Zuko’s voice pierced the quiet.

“How did you escape?” 

Sokka tried in vain to figure out what Zuko was talking about, “Which time?”

“The first time. On my warship in the South Pole. My soldiers were supposed to lock your cell, and even if they didn’t, you were chained to the wall.”

“Oh,” Sokka marveled at how long ago that felt, though it had only been a few months. “Uh, your uncle let me out.”

Zuko’s eyes flicked toward Sokka and then back to his uncle. If Sokka was not watching carefully, he would have missed it.

“Huh,” the prince huffed. It did not sound particularly angry. Just an acknowledgement.

“He also told me the most important lesson in firebending, apparently. ‘Firebending comes from the breath.’ It’s how I was able to use my boomerang to make that fire-wall-thing,” Sokka shared. He realized he was volunteering information Zuko had not asked for, but he felt like it was important. Maybe it was the fact that Iroh was laying in front of him wounded, but he wanted to give him credit.

“Huh,” Zuko huffed again, but this time he continued. “I was curious about that. You told me you would rather die than firebend again.”

“Yeah, well, firebenders up to that point had only ever killed my people, captured me, and threatened me with a public execution, so I wasn’t really enthused about the prospect of being one myself.”

“But you’ve practiced?”

“Yeah, a bit. I figured out how to deflect fire on my own. But I had a master teach me the fire-punch form thing.”

“The Dragon’s Lunge?”

“That’s the one,” Sokka was honestly impressed Zuko knew what he was talking about. “Oh, and you might want to cool off about the whole execution thing. I found out that apparently if one of us dies, we both die. Super fair, right?” Sokka spat the last part.

Zuko stiffened next to him, even more so than he already was. 

“That’s… unfortunate. I am glad you weren’t killed before we met. You won’t have to worry about me killing you though. Not because of that, but… I don’t really have reason to. I’m not welcome home no matter what I do. I’m on a different path.”

“I don’t know if that was supposed to comfort me. You won’t kill me because you don’t have a reason to anymore. Great.”

Zuko shot him another look, but he did not speak again. Sokka did not either. The watertribesman was honestly just so confused by this whole situation. It was surreal. Zuko was giving off weird vibes, sure, but none of them were really hostile. 

A few more minutes passed before Katara started helping Iroh to his feet. Zuko swooped in and pulled one of his uncle’s arms around his shoulders, the arm of the uninjured side. Katara backed away quickly but did not outright flee. She addressed Zuko firmly.

“He is healed for the most part, but the skin is still tight and could split if you don’t take it easy. And he needs rest. Rest and plenty of water.”

“I will take care of him,” Zuko said as he nodded. He paused for a moment, awkwardness written all over his face. “Thank you,” he finally croaked.

“Don’t mention it. Just… don’t chase us for a while,” she said with narrowed eyes.

“I don’t think I’ll be chasing you again ever. Yeah, today I came to capture the avatar, but… I don’t think it was the right thing to do.”

“Why the change of heart?” Katara prodded. Sokka wanted her to stop looking the gift ostrich-horse in the mouth.

Zuko did not respond as he started moving off with his uncle. Iroh did not speak, but he briefly caught Sokka’s eyes. He almost seemed… amused?

Katara grabbed Sokka’s arm to whip him around as she walked toward where Aang and Toph were unconscious leaning against Appa. She kicked Aang gently and climbed onto the air bison. 

“Come on, Aang. We need to get away from here, then we can all actually sleep.”

Aang just blearily nodded his head and climbed to the driver’s position. Sokka thought about waking Toph, but she looked so utterly dead-to-the-world that he worried for his health if he disturbed her. Carefully, he slipped his arms under her form and tried his best to carry her up Appa’s side without waking her. As he settled her down into the saddle, she shifted and punched out wildly. Sokka barely avoided the little fist, but he smiled as she turned onto her side and stayed asleep.

He looked up to see Katara looking at him strangely.

“What?”

“Just… you were really… civil. With Zuko. After you… made him take our help. I just never thought something like that would ever happen,” she said. Sokka read between the lines.

“Katara, I’m not going to… Look, he was in a lot of pain. I felt it. Apparently that happens. He did not really want to lash out; he was hurting. I might not believe in the whole soulmate thing, but that doesn’t mean that stuff like that won’t happen. I’m a big boy. I can handle it without betraying the mission.”

“Sokka, that’s not what I-”

“No, it is what you were implying. But you said it, I was _civil_. He was not attacking us, not really, so I was decent. I don’t trust him. I won’t ever trust him, not after everything he’s done. Do I think he really will stop hunting us? No. I can be decent without trusting him or going full soulmate mode or whatever. You don’t need to worry.” 

Sokka turned away from Katara, ending the conversation. She sighed, the “Sokka-is-right-but-I-really-don’t-like-it” sigh. Her concerns are valid. If he really is destined to be… well… _connected_ to Zuko in all the ways soulmates usually are, then she is right to be worried that he might let feelings get in the way of his common sense. But that would not happen. He would never let that happen.

—————

“Cactus juice, it’ll quench ya!” Sokka leaned toward an imaginary person and offered them the juice. He slurped again and dropped the empty fruit. After a moment of staring blankly at his hands, he snapped his fingers and giggled hysterically at the sparks he made.

Katara let out a belabored sigh, “Someone please restrain him before he lights himself on fire.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! A bit of a lighter plot episode, but they actually talk to each other! Woot woot! Okay but really though, am I the only one that has serious questions about how a literal child competing in probending seemed to go under the radar? Anyway, I appreciate you, and you are loved. Thank you for your abounding patience as I sort out the rest of this fic. So many of you have left kudos and nice comments that I really want to finish it well and not rush too much. Thanks for understanding.


	10. The Serpent’s Pass - The Drill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sections take place during “The Serpent’s Pass” and “The Drill” respectively.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obligatory “it’s still Thursday in my time zone” apology, haha. Also, I might have been listening to “Time” by NF during the first part of this, and it shows.

Sokka carefully completed the last stitch, finishing off the thread and holding up his masterpiece to admire. Then Katara did a massive waterbending splash.

“Hey!” Sokka yelled as water drenched his hard work. “I haven’t set the leather yet, you’ll make it shrink!”

“Sorry, Sokka. Didn’t mean to mess up your new accessory,” Katara laughed as she waterbent the damp from Sokka’s creation. He rolled his eyes and fit the material around his head.

“How do I look?”

“Better than before,” Toph deadpanned. 

“Haha,” Sokka mumbled back. Katara walked up and sat beside him as he started to retrieve the maps from his bag. Aang joined them.

“Are you going to keep that on?” Katara asked. She had that “my-brother-is-an-idiot” look.

“Yes, I will keep the eyepatch on until I am used to it. It can mess with your depth perception and I want to be warrior-ready no matter what,” Sokka bit back. The whole group fought to keep in their snickers. Sokka whined and grumpily finished unrolling his map. 

He had just finished explaining about the necessity of traversing the Serpent’s Pass when a group of Earth Kingdom refugees happened upon them. Sokka was glad that he had finished his eyepatch before then. If they were going to travel to a densely populated refugee center, then the fewer people that knew he was a soulbender the better. It would attract unwanted attention, and the avatar already brought enough as it was. 

Everything went swimmingly, thanks in no small part to Toph somehow managing to keep a hold of her passport through all the nonsense they had been through in the past few weeks. Sokka and the gang moved off to find a place to rest before the trip, only Sokka heard a voice call out.

“Hey! Wait!” The watertribesman turned and saw a young woman guard run up to him. She grabbed him and started accosting him about his passport, tickets, and… 

“...with you being a firebending soulbender and all!”

“Uh… do I know you?” Sokka felt panic mounting in his throat as she leaned in.

“Do you not remember me? Maybe you remember this?” She kissed him on the cheek. Sokka’s eyes widened.

“Suki!” A grin broke its way onto Sokka’s face. He had not realized just how much he missed Suki until she was right there in front of him. Then the memory of Kyoshi came back in a rush. His face fell.

“Suki, I can explain… I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I should have-“

“Woah woah there muscle man! I’m not mad. Yeah, I wish you told me, but you had no obligation. And you used your bending to protect me! Not that I needed it, mind you, but I found it super sweet. I was just surprised, and then you left right away.”

“Oh. You don’t care then?”

“Care about what? None of that matters, Sokka. Avatar Kyoshi was the avatar, obviously she could firebend. And you’re you, and you are pretty cool. I’ve missed you,” without her makeup, Sokka could see the faint blush on her cheeks. He fought the urge to drool.

“I missed you, too,” he managed seriously. “Oh, and here!” Sokka rummaged in his bag for a moment before pulling out the borrowed Kyoshi fan. He had kept it safe throughout all of the craziness of the journey. 

“You kept it!” Suki exclaimed!

“Yeah, I couldn’t keep the rest of the uniform, sorry. Too much to carry around. But I kept this. I figured you would want it back,” he offered the fan sheepishly.

Suki took the fan for a moment, opening it and checking it over, before she placed it back in Sokka’s hands. She closed his fist tight around it.

“Keep it. As a momento. You have kept such good care of it, Kyoshi herself could not even complain.”

Sokka and Suki stared at each other for a long minute, hands clasped together over the fan. They must have stared for longer than they realized because the rest of the group came up, obviously looking for Sokka when they noticed he was not with them anymore.

“Suki!” Katara was the first to recognize her. Aang joined her in enthusiastic greeting, and he introduced Toph to Suki as well. The Kyoshi Warrior grinned as she got reacquainted. 

The troop made their way to a platform overlooking the refugee camp. There Suki told them about the Warriors going out in search of ways to help more people, and Aang filled her in on some of the highlights of their adventures. Sokka blushed as Suki flirted with him. 

He really liked Suki, despite the fact that in the grand scheme of things, he had not known her long. The watertribesman realized that was kind of his thing. Along with meat and sarcasm, he was the “falls-fast-and-falls-hard” guy. First Yue…

Sokka’s thoughts came to a stuttered halt. A familiar ache flared up in his chest. 

He was saved from having to really deal with it by the refugees they escorted to the ferrie coming up to tearfully explain that their belongings were stolen. Sokka nearly screamed in frustration when Aang pledged to guide them through the Serpent’s Pass. Of course. As if things would ever be easy.

The pass was a long and winding slash through the lake. It was barely a pass at all, more of a thin spine that moved almost organically through the environment. The beginning of the trip went well enough. All they would have to do is keep an eye out and not get spotted by a Fire Nation patrol.

They were spotted by a Fire Nation patrol.

Sokka resolutely decided to never think about what would make things easier ever because apparently his thoughts had a direct line to the cosmos, and they hated him. The warship pulled up parallel to the travelers, and Sokka saw the flare of the fireballs before they even launched. 

“Toph!” The watertribesman called to the nearest of the group, “Help Suki and get the others clear!” He flailed his arm in the direction of the incoming fire. He whipped out his Kyoshi fan, not ashamed to be using it after Suki’s blessing. Toph looked puzzled but nodded and grabbed Suki’s arm, dragging away the protesting Warrior. 

Sokka focused on his breathing, made sure each breath reached that place inside him. He felt the energy go up and through his arm, out through the fan in his hand. The first fireball went high, but Sokka ran up the rocky terrain and flipped backwards, basically kicking the fireball in the direction of the warship. He whipped the fan below him, and a burst of fire emitted from his hand. The force of it steadied his landing.

An even larger fireball came hurtling directly at the watertribesman. Sokka grinned, the tingle of energy making him giddy. He quickly sheathed the fan and pulled his club from his shoulder. He swung as the fireball came close enough, and he batted it back with a blast of his own fire energy. The now blue call of flame hit the warship square in the middle, and he saw the entire ship rock with the force of it. 

Sokka whooped in celebration and ran after the others. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a final desperate fireball launch, only this time it was wildly ahead of him. It headed directly for the rest of the group. Sokka had to come up with something fast. Toph would not be able to block what she could not see, and Aang and Katara were so far ahead with the pregnant lady’s family that Sokka could not even see them. Desperately, Sokka pulled out Boomerang.

He placed a solid smooch to its smooth surface, “Don’t do me wrong, buddy!” He encouraged the inanimate object before he channeled as much energy as he could through the curved shape and let it fly.

The results reminded Sokka of that time on Zuko’s warship, all those months ago. A thick wall of blue flame, thicker even than that first time, trailed behind Boomerang as it soared. As the fireball came crashing into it right in front of Suki’s path, the wall dissipated a great deal of the force. Still, the impact triggered a minor rockslide. Sokka’s heart seized in panic as Suki tried to leap clear of the falling boulders. There were too many…

With a thump and slide of moving earth, Toph produced a sort of awning that sent the falling rocks over Suki and into the lake. Sokka nearly fainted with relief and ran up to the Kyoshi Warrior. He helped her to her feet and continued running ahead with her, hand in hand. He heard Toph mumble something about “saving his girlfriend’s life” behind him, but he was much too distracted to really listen. 

The trio of Sokka, Suki, and Toph caught up to the main group shortly, and the rest of the afternoon and evening progressed without much incident. The moon rose above the horizon as they found a fairly flat and open portion of the pass to camp on for the night. Sokka hoped they could be off the crag by the next day. The close-call with Suki had him on edge.

When Suki laid out her blanket close to the edge, he almost lost it completely. Sokka desperately needed Suki to understand that while he knew she could take care of herself, he just wanted to protect her. He could not lose someone he cared about again. However, Suki seemed miffed about the whole thing. She dragged him off away from the others. 

“Sokka, you know I’m a big girl. I don’t need you hovering to protect me. What is this all about?” Suki questioned. There was tension in her voice, but not really any anger. 

“Suki… I- I just don’t want to see you hurt. No matter how much I know you can handle things, I’ve just had some bad experiences with people I care about… not making it,” the last bit sounded off, even to Sokka, but Suki’s eyes softened slightly.

“You don’t have to talk about it. Just whoever this person was… I am not them. I am so sorry that you lost them, but you cannot let it ruin what we could have,” Suki reached up and cradled Sokka’s face in one of her palm’s. He appreciated the concern in her eyes, felt a rush at how close her face was to his own. Suki leaned, and Sokka found himself leaning in turn. His mind flashed to a different person holding his face. Leaning in. Kissing him. And then leaving him alone.

“I’m sorry, I can’t,” Sokka choked as he pulled away. Suki looked at him thoughtfully before nodding.

“That’s okay. I didn’t realize it had been like that. You must have loved her. I don’t want to rush you into something while you are healing. I just wanted you to know that I like you. Really like you. And I’m willing to wait,” she smiled then, and Sokka wanted to kiss her even more than he had before, but he just could not.

“I actually… I don’t know if its awkward but… can I tell you about her?” the watertribesman found himself asking. He had not really talked about Yue with anyone since leaving the North Pole. He certainly had not tried to contact her.

“I’d love that, Sokka. If you liked her, she must have been amazing,” Suki guided him to some nearby rocks. They sat, and she leaned her head on his shoulder. She wound their fingers together after a moment of hesitation, making sure it was okay. Sokka appreciated the closeness.

“Her name was Yue. Is Yue, I guess. It’s kind of a long story. She was the Northern Water Tribe Princess…” Sokka went on to tell Suki the whole story, not pausing even as the pain gripped his chest fiercely. It felt… strangely good to share Yue’s story with someone, someone who wanted to listen and really understood what she meant to Sokka. What she still meant to him. He finished, and dimly felt Suki’s hand brushing a tear from his cheek.

“Yue sounds amazing, Sokka. So brave in the face of everything. As a Kyoshi Warrior, we swear an oath to die for our order, to protect Kyoshi Island and now all the Earth Kingdom. We can only hope that our deaths could have that much of an impact. I wish I could have known her.”

“Thanks, Suki. Hearing that means a lot. I am sure Yue appreciates it, too.” 

Suki gave him a look, “Have you spoken to her? Since leaving the North Pole?”

“No,” Sokka grimaced. It felt strange to grieve someone he could technically contact at almost anytime, but he still grieved. He knew she was still there, but she would never be there in the ways he wanted. Maybe it was selfish, but talking to her felt too much like accepting that fact.

“I cannot possibly understand how you must feel in this situation, but I think you should at least consider talking to her again. It might help. But only if you want to, and it does not have to be soon. Just someday,” Suki’s voice was sincere as she looked up at Sokka. She clutched his arm with strong, calloused hands, and she squeezed slightly in a gesture of comfort. 

“I… I agree with you. It’s just… It’s just a lot. Especially with everything else going on.”

“I get it, Sokka. There isn’t any pressure, definitely not from me. I just care about you. I want you to do what you need to do to heal in your own time. Even… Even if that means we aren’t together. I am still your friend, and I want the best for you,” she smiled at him, but the smile was sad. Sokka knew she cared deeply for him, and he cared deeply for her. Loved her even. But in the moonlight, all Sokka could see in her face was Yue.

“I care about you, Suki. I just don’t think I can care like that, at least right now. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to open myself up like that again,” the words stung, especially because they were true.

“Sokka,” Suki grabbed his face and made him meet her eyes, “it will get better. It may not feel like it, but it will. Someday. I’m not saying that because I want anything out of you. I just know it’s true. And, Sokka, you are a person so full of love and joy, at least when you let it show. I know you’ll be able to give that to someone. It may be that we’re just not meant to be. That’s okay.”

Suki smiled at him, and she leaned up and gently brushed her lips to Sokka’s. He almost sobbed when she did not evaporate in his hands. She wrapped her arms around Sokka as his head fell into her shoulder.

“Thank you, Suki, for understanding. I just… it feels like I am fighting every second of every day against something bigger than myself. It’s like… it’s like if I accept that Yue’s death was something that had to happen, if I see her doing good in the spirit world, if I acknowledge that… just if I confront her destiny, I’d have to confront mine. Her dad told me he knew she was going to die young the moment she was born, and he fought that his entire life. And it still happened. There’s so much that’s supposedly a part of my destiny that I didn’t want, but every time I give in to part of it, like with the firebending, it feels easy. I feel better. But I’m the plans guy, right? I’m… I’m a bit of a control freak. I hate knowing certain pieces of what is supposed to happen out of context, I hate not being able to control what happens. I hate that… I hate that I don’t get a say in who I end up loving, ‘cause the one time I tried, she died. She left me. I can’t do that again, but not doing that means… it means I have to be with someone I don’t ever think I can love. It isn’t fair. I don’t want to be that person.”

Sokka was crying by that point, his tears staining the soft green fabric of Suki’s uniform. She held him through it and stroked his back lightly as he let out his frustration.

“I don’t really know what to say, Sokka. I’ve never had a grand destiny. I’ve never known if I was on the right path, ever. I always had to guess, to just play it by ear and hope it was for the best. The avatar showed me that our isolation on Kyoshi Island was wrong, that we should go out and help the people who need us. I lose sleep every night thinking about all those years we could have been helping, so many people we could have saved if we had just left the safety of our island. My vision for myself and my order, it was so small compared to what it should have been. Now I know what we are really capable of, and we are doing a lot of good, Sokka. Soulbenders are supposed to help the world, like the avatar, right? That’s a great destiny. I wish I knew that was in my future, had that kind of guidance earlier on. I know it comes wrapped up with all those other things that make you feel like your life is not in your control, but when are we ever really in control of our lives? We just react. Yeah, we have plans, but there are so many times those plans don’t happen or change. I’m not saying you have to just accept what your destiny has in store for you, but maybe you could try just letting things happen? It’s not like the spirits are going to change your heart. They can’t make you fall in love; they can’t make you forget Yue. It seems like you’re more scared of your destiny changing  _ you _ , Sokka, but only you can do that. You have complete control over how you respond to each new step on the path. I know you. I trust you. So maybe… maybe you should let go a bit? Embrace who and what you are. You don’t have to change anything. Just… just be. Just be Sokka. The rest will come or go, but you’ll still be you.”

Sokka met Suki’s eyes as she finished, and he managed a smile. Her words would need time to sink in. He would need time to process. But he knew that, to an extent, she was right. He was scared, from the very beginning, that he would become someone else as a part of his destiny. But maybe going with the flow was not giving up. Maybe it was committing to making sure his destiny was something that happened alongside him, not to him. Maybe there really was hope after all. He could stop trying to fight most everything his destiny called him to be, and he could just be him.

_ Just be Sokka. _

—————

Sokka’s heart thundered in his chest. Team Avatar waited for just the right moment, then Toph slammed her foot down onto the dirt and kicked up their dust cover. 

The drill before them thundered as it made its way toward the wall of Ba Sing Se. Sokka could not help but admire the craftsmanship of the machine, the way it moved like a caterpillar-beetle across the terrain. His awe only grew as he examined the various pillars, engines, pistons, and more of the drill’s inner workings. He snatched at the opportunity to examine the schematics.

“Okay, we gotta bring this thing down before that guy dethaws. Looks like the best way would be to cut through the support pillars in the outer hull,” no sooner had he finished explaining than the group ran in the direction indicated by the plans. 

Sokka watched helplessly as Katara and Aang whipped the water back and forth over the steel. They were definitely not moving fast enough. Aang had the brilliant idea to just weaken each support enough that a blow from the top would bring the structure down, but even then the two waterbenders could not get through enough pillars to really make a dent, not in the time they had. 

“Aang, can you give me a boost to the next pillar? I want to see if I can help!” Aang nodded and helped Sokka make the jump to the next crossbeam with his airbending. There the watertribesman examined the thick steel in front of him and wondered if he would even be able to make a dent. Hey, he was supposed to be extremely powerful, right? At least this did not require refinement. He just needed to tap into that strength.

Sokka breathed in deeply and found that warm place. It got easier and easier to do so as he practiced, and he no longer feared it. He remembered way back to Katara’s advice at the Western Air Temple, and he grimaced to himself at how right she was.

On a fierce exhale, Sokka pushed his hands in front of him, held palm down side by side in a flat line. A thin jet of almost white-hot flame shot from his hands. Sokka brough the flame up to the metal, and a thrill went through him as he saw the steel first grow red, then orange, then the yellow of molten metal. He had to watch his feet as the molten material slid and dripped down onto the crossbeam before dripping, stretching, and cooling in almost beautiful stips below. While the pillar was thick and steel from above the spot Sokka melted dripped down, he was able to angle his hands into a sort of wedge that encouraged the metal to drip off to the sides. He burned a considerable way into the pillar, and when he stepped back, Sokka admired the large chunk he took out of it. It definitely was not as stable as it had been before. Combined with Aang and Katara’s work, this would definitely help bring the whole drill down.

Sokka looked up from his work to see Aand and Katara moving to their next pillar. It took the firebender about the same amount of time to get through his, and Sokka felt a swell of pride at that fact. Aang helped him move again, and he did as he had for the first pillar, again and again. The muscles in his arms and legs burned from maintaining their rigid positions, and the tips of his fingers were red and blistering from the sustained heat. It was worth it though to be moving at twice the speed than with just Aang and Katara working. 

“Okay, we have to go,” Sokka called out. What they had done would have to be enough. It had been quite a while, and the odds that the worker was still encased in ice was slim. Katara nodded at him, and the three started to make their way back into the inner workings of the drill, just in time to be scared half to death by the trio of Fire Nation women from those weeks before. Azula, knife-lady, and bouncy-girl chased them through the hallways.

Aang split off at a crossroads, and Katara threw him her water pouch. Sokka bit back a panicked protest since not having water left Katara vulnerable, but he realized the amount of trust Katara put in him as she ran alongside her brother. 

“There!” Sokka called. He opened the pipe to the sluice and helped Katara in. He jumped down just in time to miss a flurry of knives that dropped down into the hole behind him. Sokka was too preoccupied with riding the deluge of water to see if the women followed them. He really hoped not.

The pipe spat the Water Tribe siblings out behind the drill, and Sokka coughed up the disgusting muddy water. Katara turned and saw the bouncy-girl riding the water after them, and she immediately began bending the water back up into the drain.

“You go, sister! Plug up the hole and build the pressure! When Aang hits it, the whole thing will pop!” 

Katara did not stop; she just focused on keeping the rush of water back in the pipe, the sweat dripping from her forehead. Sokka was really at a loss for how he could possibly help, so he just cheered on his sister’s form.

“Sokka, I really don’t need help waterbending right now!” Katara snapped and flicked some of the sludge to hit Sokka in the face. Fair, if Sokka was honest. He was probably being annoying, though he did genuinely want to help. 

Toph showed up just a few moments later, and together with Katara they were able to push the sludge way back up into the drain. Sokka cheered. They felt it for a few more minutes before a thundering crash sent the entire drill quaking, and spurts of the sludge burst from the various joints in the structure. Katara dropped her arms and panted slightly. Toph seemed out of breath as well, but both girls were grinning. 

“Great job, Katara! You, too, Toph! That was amazing!”

“Of course it was, Snoozles, I did it!” Toph laughed back. Katara smiled kindly.

“Thank you, Sokka. Sorry for hitting you with the sludge. I was a bit on edge concentrating.”

“No worries, I deserved it.”

“And you did good too. Toph, you didn’t see it, but Sokka used his firebending to melt through the metal pillars inside the drill! It was really cool, big brother,” Katara grinned, and Sokka beamed back. The praise was really genuine, and pride swelled in his chest. 

“Wait, Sokka is a firebender?” Toph exclaimed. Sokka just blinked at her for a full minute. Katara seemed confused as well, before her eyes widened and she gasped.

“Sokka… we… we told Toph you are a soulbender right? We must have?” she choked out.

“You sure as dirt didn’t!” Toph yelled. “I can’t  _ see _ , dummies! How am I supposed to know his eyes don’t match?”

“But… I’ve firebent… in front of you…” Sokka was truly at a loss.

“You think I can  _ see  _ firebending? That makes no sense! I didn’t have any idea. I thought you were broody-mc-sassy pants who just kinda flailed around a lot!”

“Why did you think I was making an eyepatch?”

“For all I know you have a messed up eye. I don’t know how many more times I can say this… but. I. Cannot.  _ See _ !”

“We’re so sorry, Toph, we should have made sure you knew,” Katara tried. 

“Yeah, I’m sorry, Toph. Are… Are we okay?” Sokka grimaced.

“I’m not mad that you kept it from me because obviously I’m surrounded by idiots that had no idea. Just anytime there’s another super-significant revelation about someone that is tied to a physical characteristic I can’t feel with my feet, can we please make sure someone tells me. Really, I just pity you guys.”

“Yeah, I’ll make sure I keep you in the loop, Toph. Sorry again. Haha… well, now you know?” Sokka clapped her on the shoulder. She tisked but just punched him back in her usual way. Aang came flying down beside the trio as Toph said,

“Hey, at least now I have a whole new set of material to… roast you with!” she cackled as Katara and Sokka shared mirrored looks of horror.

“What are you talking about, Toph,” Aang asked innocently as everyone made their way back toward the wall.

“Oh, just how Goody-Goody and Hot Flake over there forgot to tell me that Sokka could shoot flames out of his butt,” she deadpanned.

“Wait, Sokka, you can shoot flames from-” Aang started excitedly, his youth showing.

“ _ Nope _ !” the watertribesman snipped as his palm met face with enough force to leave a mark. 

“Now I know why the  _ sparks _ were flying with that Suki girl,” Toph declared again. Sokka was sure this is how he died. 

Katara giggled though, and Sokka’s head whipped to face her, betrayal all over his face.

“You could say that Sokka is a little  _ hot-headed _ ,” she gasped out between laughs. Toph’s facade broke as the other girl chimed in. She laughed big and loud.

“Yeah, he definitely takes things a step to  _ fire _ ,” Toph choked out between gasping breaths.

Aang caught on and chimed in with a laugh, “You could say it's his claim to  _ flame _ !” The whole group minus Sokka lost it. 

As horrible as the puns were, it felt good to have the group laughing this hard, especially considering how serious the past few days had been. And the fact that they were joking about his firebending, teasing, somehow made it all the more normal. So much more Sokka. He decided that he wanted this kind of lightheartedness to continue for as long as it could.

“Well, I  _ flame  _ to please,” he responded, and a new round of hysterical laughter rocked the group. Sokka beamed and joined in on the laughter. Just be Sokka.

It might just work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are! Halfway! I will admit I’ve slowed down astronomically writing. I am still almost done... but I’ve been almost done for a while. I’m trying to find time to end it right, you know? Anyway, next chapter will have some pretty hard canon divergence, but it will be worth it I think. For the angst. :)


	11. The Guru - The Crossroads of Destiny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place during the episodes "The Guru" and "The Crossroads of Destiny."

“Sokka, you should go see Dad. I know how much you have missed him. I’ll stay with the Earth King and help with the preparations,” Katara offered graciously. She held the letter with their father’s location out for her brother. Sokka smiled at her but closed her fist back around it.

“I really, really appreciate that, Katara, but you miss him, too. And I’m the plans guy, remember? Besides…” Sokka trailed off. Katara tilted her head at him.

“Besides what?” She had those concerned mom eyes.

“No, no, don’t be worried. Just… Suki gave me some advice while we were on the Serpent’s Pass. I’m taking it. It feels right for me to stay here in Ba Sing Se, at least for now. I can’t really explain it. I’m supposed to be here. I know I’ll see Dad soon. This just isn’t my time. You’ll give him a big hug from me, right?” Sokka gave Katara a bittersweet smile. He was not lying. Something in his gut, nestled next to the ever-present warmth, told him he needed to be here in Ba Sing Se. That kind of feeling is what Sokka would have rebelled against with all his strength just a week ago, but he was willing to give it a chance now. And it did feel right.

“Oh, Sokka,” Katara sighed as she wrapped him in a deep hug, “when did you go and get all mature on me? People are going to start thinking you’re the older one.”

“But I am the older one,” Sokka protested lightly.

Katara just pulled back and grinned at him before hugging him again. The siblings stayed like that for a long minute. Sokka missed this, this physical closeness he used to have more normally with his family. In the poles, warmth was a commodity, and it was not abnormal for siblings to share beds until they were older. Sometimes whole families would share together when fuel for fires was running scarce. This cultural phenomenon meant that not many in the Southern Water Tribe were skimpy when it came to physical affection. And Sokka was definitely a hugger. On the road these past months, he had missed this sort of moment, the feeling of just holding someone you care about in a wholesome way. Eventually, Katara sighed and pulled back.

“Well, I better go pack my bag then. Aang will want to be off to visit that guru as quickly as possible. Take care of yourself Big Brother,” Katara reached up and playfully snapped the band of the eyepatch against the side of Sokka’s head. It stung, but not badly. Sokka mocked a much greater injury and rubbed the side of his head as Katara laughed and left him. 

Sokka saw everyone off. Aang and Katara left on Appa, Toph walked out the gates, and that left only Momo to keep Sokka company. After only a moment though, even Momo flew off to cause mischief elsewhere. The watertribesman waited for loneliness to settle in, but strangely, it did not. Sokka felt downright content. He spent the rest of the afternoon and evening exploring Ba Sing Se a little more and then turned in early.

The young man rose when the sun pierced the curtains pulled tightly shut on the window to his room. Stupid firebending. If Sokka even let the smallest bit of light into the room, he would wake up and not be able to go back to sleep. It was super annoying while traveling, where nothing short of sleeping with his head in his bag would block out the morning rays. Sokka would never consider himself a morning person, no matter how many firebenders  _ rise with the sun _ . 

Sokka got up and stretched anyway. He went out on his small balcony overlooking the city and felt the sun’s early-morning rays on his skin. It felt wonderful. He stretched and did some fire-punches-minus-the-fire to get his blood going. Once he finished, he pulled out Boomerang and did a few practice throws, confident the boomerang would come back and not go falling into the city below. Confident and ready to start the day, Sokka went back to get dressed and head toward the Earth Kingdom generals’ morning meeting, hoping that maybe they would have breakfast there.

The generals did not have breakfast at their meeting, but as much as Sokka’s stomach complained, the tactical discussion was so fascinating he soon forgot. He listened with rapt attention as they discussed the invasion plan and marveled at the clear evidence of their years of experience. He really wished he had parchment and ink so he could take notes for his own future plans, but his memory would have to do. 

As the meeting started wrapping up, one of the nearby generals asked Sokka if he would be willing to courier the draft plans to the Earth King for preliminary review, and the watertribesman hastily agreed. Scroll in hand, Sokka walked out into the upper ring of Ba Sing Se and toward the palace proper. As he went, the food smells from street vendors reminded him of his empty stomach, but Sokka shook his head and tried to stay focused on getting the plans to the king. He should not be distracted by something like food.

But then he smelled jasmine. It was a wonderful aroma, an earthier version of the plant he recognized could only come from jasmine tea. He had it once, when in one of the many Earth Kingdom towns, and he had liked it quite a lot. He tried not to think of the coincidence there. He found himself following the smell to a bustling tea shop. Closer to the shop itself, Sokka could also smell the sweet and savory scent of baking pastries. His stomach voiced its opinion on whether or not Sokka should wait on breakfast any longer, and Sokka gave in to its demands.

As Sokka made his way to the large open archway of the tea shop, the Jasmine Dragon from what the sign says, he stopped in his tracks. A familiar voice called out among the chatter,

“I need two more jasmine teas, Uncle, and another-“ Sokka did not stop to hear more. The voice was accompanied by a pale, scarred face, one he knew too well. Sokka pivoted on one foot and full on sprinted toward the palace.

Zuko in Ba Sing Se? That could not bode well. No wonder he was lured to the shop, stupid spirits. (Sokka briefly pictured Suki’s disapproving face.) Whatever, it still was not good to see him there. Why else would he happen to be in Ba Sing Se but to be after the avatar? Or Sokka himself? He said he would not chase them, but then he turns up exactly where they are? If it was not one purpose, it would have to be something… something like… something like destiny…

Sokka slowed his pace as he climbed the final few steps. Just let things be? React, don’t fight? Just be Sokka? What would totally-not-freaked-out-about-fate Sokka do right now? Well, if he was honest, it probably would not be to go running into the Earth King’s presence screaming about a Fire Nation prince working in a tea shop on the upper level. When Sokka really thought about it, it did not make much sense. If Zuko was after the avatar (or Sokka), then why would he be working in a tea shop, out in the open? If it was some sort of long con, Sokka could not see the benefit. Maybe it really was just a coincidence (or providence). 

Sokka slowly made his way into the throne room. He was surprised to see three Kyoshi Warriors standing before the Earth King.

“Hello, Sokka! Isn’t this wonderful, the Kyoshi Warriors have come to protect me and Ba Sing Se!” He grinned. Sokka felt excitement course through him. He looked, but none of the Warriors were Suki.

“What’s the matter, Sokka, not happy to see us?” One of the Warriors asked. Her voice was vaguely familiar, but Sokka was distracted and could not quite place it.

“Oh, no, not at all. I just wanted to see if Suki was here.”

“We can pass a message if you like?” The voice was sickly sweet, but Sokka did not catch on.

“Yeah, that would be good actually. Tell her I need to talk to her about a certain part of my destiny being in Ba Sing Se right now, and I have no idea what to do about it. She’ll get what I mean,” Sokka looked up then, really looking at the Warrior before him. A glint in her eye drew his attention, and recognition must have filled his face with horror.

“Oh, I think I get what you mean, Sokka dear. It would seem our precious Zuzu is in Ba Sing Se, hm? I might just have to play matchmaker,” Azula cackled. Another Warrior, no, it must be the bouncy-girl from before, flipped over to Sokka and hit him in just the right ways to paralyze him before he could do anything. He gazed up at the trio towering over him with rage. 

“Take him to the prison below ground,” she barked at the nearest Dai Li agent. They came out of seemingly nowhere to aid her. She leaned down over Sokka as they prepared to drag him away. “I’ll bring you a treat later, Water Tribe,” she whispered, the sickly sweet tone back but all the more creepy. 

The only thing Sokka hated more than Azula in that moment was the feeling of having no control over his limbs. The agents dragged him along the hard stone floor, down stairs, and eventually threw him down a hole into a cavern lit only with glowing crystals. Sokka was just getting enough feeling back to be aware of all the bruises he would have from that journey. He rubbed his tingling limbs and frantically paced in the small space, trying to devise some way out of this mess.

Sokka startled from his pacing when the hole to the cell opened above. A figure fell down into the cavern with him before the opening closed again with a slam. Sokka nearly laughed when he saw who had joined him in his crystal prison.

“What are you doing here?” he asked Zuko. The prince looked up from where he was sitting on his knees with a startled expression. “Did you follow us to Ba Sing Se?” Sokka accused.

Zuko’s expression scrunched in on itself. He looked frustrated. 

“No, we didn’t follow you. My uncle and I were trying to start over… I should have known I wouldn’t be able to escape,” his shoulders slumped, and he adjusted his seated position until he had his knees bent to his chest, arms wrapped around them. He looked so small like that. Sokka found himself believing him, despite everything.

Sokka sat down opposite Zuko.

“Um, well, if you’re not trying to hunt me or Aang down, then I figure you are just as eager to get out of here as I am. With you here, I think I might have a way to do it,” the plan formed in Sokka’s head as he spoke. Zuko looked up at him, his scar almost hidden by a mop of dark hair.

“What do you mean ‘with me here?’” the prince asked. He looked suspicious, distrusting. Sokka did not blame him. He still did not really trust Zuko, but he seemed genuine when he said he had not followed them to the city. He was willing to give Zuko a chance, though. He did not deserve it, but Sokka was tired of holding grudges. Honestly, he was tired in general.

“Aang is off with a guru right now learning to master the Avatar State. He should be connected to the spirit world, right? If we can find him, then we can get a message to him that Ba Sing Se is in trouble.”

“Find him… in the spirit world?” Zuko looked at him like he had grown a second head.

“Yeah… I’ve been able to go in on purpose before. Or like, project myself or whatever. You’ve done it, too. Remember the Fire Sage temple?”

“I remember. I don’t want to do it!” Zuko lashed out with a surprising amount of aggression. Sokka felt taken aback.

“Why? It’s our best chance to get out of here!” he spat back. 

“Because I don’t believe in it! The spirit world nonsense, the soulbender stuff… It’s… it’s shameful. It cost me my honor. I don’t want it!” Zuko was yelling by that point. Sokka felt his temper flare to match. How dare he!

“Really, Zuko? You don’t want it? What did being a soulbender ever cost you, oh Prince of the Fire Nation? You say it’s shameful, but I’m just starting to understand that it's a part of me whether I like it or not. But you know what, I’m not going to be ashamed of who I am anymore. Being this way has cost me so much, Zuko, you wouldn’t even understand. But I’m not going to shy away from it anymore!” Sokka stood and stormed to a far corner of the cavern. He heard Zuko stand behind him.

“What has being a soulbender cost me? It cost me everything!”

“Oh, you lost your precious honor, that was what you said, right? Really? Because of this,” Sokka reached up and jerked off his eyepatch, “because of this, the Fire Nation took my mother away from me!” Sokka’s vision blurred as tears fell openly down his cheeks. As he blinked, he saw Zuko’s stormy face cool and fall.

“Huh, I guess that’s something we have in common.”

“What?” Sokka was too angry and confused to ask anything else. He bit his tongue and waited for Zuko to elaborate. Zuko stayed standing where he was, across the cavern. But he did continue.

“My father… he never liked that I was born like this. I think… I think he wanted to kill me when I was born. But my mom protected me. She protected me a lot when I was younger, but then she… she left. She wouldn’t have left by her own choice. I don’t know what happened to her. I was alone in that palace for years, and my father constantly told me I would have to prove my loyalty to the Fire Nation, and without my mom there…” Zuko trailed off. Sokka felt his anger dissipate. The prince’s face was full of sadness. 

“But your mom might still be alive? She might be okay?”

“I… I can’t let myself hope that. Besides, I can never go back home. I’ve been banished. My father made it abundantly clear he doesn’t want me,” Zuko choked slightly and waved a hand up toward the left side of his face. Sokka’s eyes widened.

“Did your father do that to you?” Sokka took a tentative step forward. Zuko looked up. His expression was painfully neutral. He did not answer, which was answer enough for Sokka. The watertribesman crossed the rest of the space between them and stood in front of Zuko. He placed his hands on either of Zuko’s shoulders and marveled when the other did not pull away.

“That’s… that’s rough, buddy,” Sokka tried. Zuko’s eyes snapped to Sokka’s for a moment before a gasp escaped his throat. The gasping continued, and Sokka was concerned until he realized the raspy noise was actually a laugh. It was so very Zuko. Sokka… liked it. The prince’s face got serious again.

“I’m- I’m sorry about your mother. That was truly awful. I wish things could be different. I’m really sorry,” his eyes stared directly into Sokka’s, and Sokka took the apology in. It was not Zuko’s fault, but the apology still meant the world to him. Zuko looked like he meant it, too. 

“Thank you, Zuko. I appreciate that. I know it doesn’t feel the same, but I am sorry for what happened to you, too,” Sokka gave Zuko a wry smile. Zuko returned it. Smiles looked good on him. “I know it is hard to accept, but using our connection to the spirit world might be the only way to get help. Will you help me?” 

Sokka watched a whole gambit of emotions flick across Zuko’s face, but he nodded. The watertribesman beamed and moved his hands down from Zuko’s shoulders to his hands and pulled the other young man down to a seated position. The prince mirrored Sokka’s cross-legged posture. Sokka scooted closer so that their knees pressed together, their hands resting half on one knee half on the other. He rested his left hand palm up and indicated that Zuko should put his hand palm down on top of Sokka’s. Zuko placed his left hand palm up on his other knee, and Sokka placed his hand on top. 

It was the same position Sokka had used with Chief Arnook, but in the dim of the cavern, across from Zuko, the position felt far more intimate. Zuko stared at Sokka, a hint of fear in his eyes. Sokka would not lie and say he did not feel any trepidation, but he was determined to get a message out of the cell so they could save Ba Sing Se. 

“Close your eyes, and follow when I pull, okay? It will feel really weird and… and spinny? That’s the only way I can describe it,” Sokka explained. He watched as Zuko nodded and closed his eyes. Sokka did likewise.

Sokka reached for that warm spot inside him, but he was startled to find that it was not there in his gut. He reached further, but he was drawn outward. He found his core in the space between him and Zuko. He plunged forward regardless.

The world tilted on its axis, and Sokka marveled at the force of it. He opened his eyes, and he was greeted by Zuko’s similarly astonished face. They stood on a path that seemed to be made more of whisping clouds than solid earth. All around them was a vast expanse of stars. Between the twinkling lights, flashes of color lit the expanse of blackness so dark it almost seemed purple. It was beautiful.

“Woah,” Sokka gasped. 

“Yeah,” Zuko muttered. 

After a moment, Sokka shook his head to clear it. They needed to see if they could make a connection with Aang. How would they know where to find him? 

“Last time, it wasn’t like this,” Zuko breathed, still staring at the cosmic landscape. 

“No. This must be deep in the spirit world. But we need to go find Aang,” Sokka started moving, slowly, making sure Zuko was ready. Sokka’s own feet were a bit unsteady on the moving ground, but he was able to take a tentative step. Zuko followed along as he walked, and it was only then that Sokka realized he was still holding one of Zuko’s hands. He did not drop it.

“How are we going to find him? This place seems endless,” Zuko asked. He seemed back to himself now, scowling slightly at their surroundings as if he could intimidate them into giving the pair answers. 

“I don’t know. I was just kind of playing it by ear.”

Zuko let out a put upon sigh but continued to follow Sokka regardless. 

“What if we… tried to ask it?” Zuko muttered. Sokka did not quite follow.

“Ask what?”

“The… you know… Before when we did something like this, it was there. It said it felt the avatar’s presence. Maybe it would know now.”

“You mean the kind spirit?”

Zuko grimaced at the name, but he nodded.

“That’s a good idea, buddy!” Sokka praised. Zuko did not acknowledge the compliment, but the fact he was willing to suggest contacting the spirit at all showed an immense amount of progress. Sokka beamed, but his gut roiled with anxiety. He had not seen the spirit since the Fire Sage temple. He still felt nervous about it, but he pushed through. They needed to save Ba Sing Se, and to do that they needed to do whatever they could to find Aang as quickly as possible. 

“Do you have any idea on how to contact it?” Zuko asked. “You have more experience with this than I do.”

Zuko was right, but only barely. Sokka struggled to come up with something.

“Well, maybe we should just ask? The kind spirit is pretty powerful, right? Maybe if we reach out it will hear?” 

“That would be pretty convenient,” Zuko seemed unconvinced.

“Why do things have to be hard?” 

“Fair.”

Sokka grabbed Zuko’s other hand and closed his eyes.

“Let’s just… focus on what we need. We need guidance, right? To find Aang. Let’s ask for that.”

The watertribesman could picture Zuko rolling his eyes, but he heard the prince take a deep breath in front of him. It felt… stranger than before. To reach out while in the spirit world. It felt bigger. Stronger. The world pitched on its axis again, and when Sokka opened his eyes, they were no longer in that brilliant expanse of space. The air smelled like jasmine.

The pair stood on a rocky cliff cut into the side of a mountain. The path curved around in front of them. Zuko turned and started looking as well. He was the one to spot the figure up ahead, disappearing behind the mountainside at the curve of the path.

“Look, I saw someone!” Zuko called out. He ran and pulled Sokka along. They made it to the spot, and up ahead, the retreating form ran. 

The soulbenders sprinted after the figure, and it led them through the cliffs and toward an open-air temple. Maybe that was where Aang was! Sokka took in the figure a bit more carefully as they followed. He could not see the figure’s face, but it appeared to be a Fire Nation man in soldier’s garb, but no uniform Sokka had seen recently. It reminded him of the older style he had seen in the North Pole when planning to stop the Fire Nation attack. Why would this figure be leading them? The signs of the kind spirit were there, but why was it this person instead of the spirit?

Realization hit Sokka like a brick, but he was not able to say anything before the figure vanished in a wisp of smoke in front of them. Zuko growled in frustration, but he quickly changed his tune when he saw what was before them. Sokka saw it, too. Aang’s body sat in a meditative pose on the ground, but his spirit hovered above it, sheathed in a purple light. An old, shriveled man sat in front of Aang as he meditated.

“Aang,” Sokka called. Spirit-Aang jerked his head toward the sound. Sokka fought the urge to shrivel back, but Zuko stood firm. 

“My sister is in Ba Sing Se. She intends to take over the city. Sokka and I are held captive underground,” the Fire Nation man said matter-of-factly. Sokka backed him up.

“We came to find you! You have to come back!” he called out.

“No, Aang, let go of your worldly attachments! You cannot enter the Avatar State if you cannot let go. You cannot help them unless you detach yourself from them,” the old man called out, but Aang was already descending. Before he fully re-entered his body, Sokka heard Aang saying something about not leaving them behind; he heard Katara’s name. 

Aang stood with his physical body and took off in what Sokka assumed was the direction of Appa. The watertribesman turned to Zuko and found a strange expression on his face. 

“He didn’t even hesitate,” Zuko muttered. 

“Aang is like that. He cares about his friends.”

“But he… he moved before you even spoke.”

“Yeah. He must have trusted you. I mean, I’m here, so that bodes well for you not being, you know, evil right now.”

“I don’t deserve it.”

“What?”

“His trust. Your trust,” Zuko looked at Sokka through his hair. His heart skipped a beat. 

“You don’t have it. Not yet. But I think you could. Someday. Thanks for doing this. Helping me. I mean, I know it helps you get out, too, but still. Thanks.”

Sokka really wished that soulbender powers came with mind reading because Zuko had that unreadable neutral expression on his face. The only indication that anything was going on in the other’s head was a gentle squeeze from his hand, the hand still holding Sokka’s. It dawned on the watertribesman that while it was true he had not let go of Zuko’s hand the whole time, it was equally true that Zuko had not let go of him. Sokka stared into Zuko’s mismatched eyes.

“Um, we should go back and find our bodies. Before your sister decides to come back and roast us alive or something,” Sokka rubbed the back of his neck, coughing awkwardly.

“Yeah, you’re right,” was Zuko’s response. They started moving, but Zuko paused. “Who do you think it was that led us here?” 

“Oh, I think… I think it might have been whoever… you know… The soul that is…” Sokka gestured wildly between the two of them. Zuko seemed to get what he meant. He just nodded, thoughtful.

Heading back to their bodies proved much easier than Sokka thought it would be. He recognized the energy that was normally within him even at this distance, and it was easy to follow the pull back to their starting point. The pair walked, and the world tilted, and they were back standing over their seated bodies in the crystal cavern. 

They settled back into themselves, and Sokka opened his physical eyes. Zuko was already looking at him, more thoughtful than neutral. The warmth inside Sokka thrummed in his veins. He was antsy with it, but he did not want to move from this spot. His hands tingled where they were in contact with Zuko’s. Sokka felt better than he had in weeks. Months. Better than he ever had since…

Maybe destiny was not so bad?

The air stretched thick between the two men. Sokka watched in awe as Zuko’s face told the story of his inner narrative. He saw the entire battle behind his features. Then, the watertribesman witnessed one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. 

Zuko’s entire form went slack, like a taut string unwound from a bow. His face opened slightly, seeming gentler. He smiled, a genuine and shy one. Sokka nearly gasped. The prince leaned forward slowly. Sokka met him in the middle.

Sokka’s chest hurt, but the ache settled into the background. The foreground filled with his frantically beating heart, blood rushing in his ears. This felt like coming home and going on an adventure all at once. It felt easy and  _ right  _ and why did he ever fight this? Yes, he still loved Yue. Still hurt that she was gone, that she left, that would never change. But this? This felt like safety and comfort and everything Sokka needed. This felt like peace; it felt like joy. For once. For once in his life, Sokka felt really, truly, unbelievably…  _ happy _ . 

The two pulled away from each other, and they both grinned like lunatics. The expression looked foreign on Zuko’s face, like it was not used to it. Sokka decided then that he wanted to give the prince every opportunity to practice smiling like that. 

They stood and stretched. There was not really anything to talk about, but the silence was comfortable. Sokka joined Zuko in leaning against the wall of the cavern. He pressed against the other firebender from shoulder to hip. Zuko directed a soft look in Sokka’s direction. They would need to talk about things eventually. Still have to work out the issues boiling beneath the surface. But in that moment, Sokka truly believed they could.

A thunderous boom filled the cavern as Aang and… Iroh? Came blasting into the space. Sokka ran and threw his arms around the small boy. 

“My hero!” he sing-songed, laughing as Aang hugged him back. Sokka turned and saw Zuko nod to his uncle. Iroh gave the younger man a pensive look, but before Iroh could speak, the entrance to the prison opened with a slide and none other than Azula dropped in.

“Oh, I see I am right on time!” she monotoned. “Looks like you managed to lure the avatar here, good job, Zuzu.”

Zuko’s eyes widened, and he looked between Azula and Sokka with an expression that screamed  _ don’t listen to her _ .

Sokka believed him.

“Come on, Zuko, let’s get out of here!” he called out. Zuko moved past Azula carefully, not turning his back to her. Sokka grinned at the princess smuggly. Said princess just lifted one meticulously crafted brow.

“Huh, I thought you might want to hear what Father has to say to you. When he welcomes you back as a war hero. When he hears about how you helped your dear sister capture Ba Sing Se and the avatar. It’s not too late for you, Zuko. You can still redeem yourself. You can still restore your honor,” Sokka swore his heart stopped beating the moment Zuko stopped walking.

It shattered the moment Zuko said, “You really mean that? Father wants me back?”

Iroh made to intercept his nephew, but Dai Li agents dropped in behind Azula and encased him in crystal. He called out to Zuko, but the young man turned to hesitantly face his sister. 

“Zuko!” Sokka cried. Tears stung his eyes. “Stop, come with us! Don’t go back! That guy doesn’t love you, doesn’t care about you,”  _ like I think I might, _ “it’s a trick!”

“It’s no trick, Zuko,” a sickly sweet smile stretched across Azula’s face like a fissure opening in the earth. 

“Please, Zuko!” Sokka begged. He made to step forward, but Aang grabbed his arm and held him back. He fought against the grip. “Zuko, come with us. Come with  _ me _ !”

The prince turned back toward Sokka, and the watertribesman thought, just for a moment, that maybe he got through to him.

“I’m sorry, Sokka. This is everything I have ever wanted,” Zuko’s apology reeked with genuineness, but it sounded like a lie; it made Sokka want to vomit.

_ I… _

_ I thought… _

_ Just for a minute… _

_ That maybe you wanted me? _

_ But you’re leaving me.  _

_ Leaving me... _

_ Again… _

Sokka wilted into Aang’s grip. The airbender frantically looked around as Azula’s agents moved toward the pair. Aang spun around swiftly and kicked up a swirl of dirt and dust before creating another passage out of the cavern. The agents, Azula, and Zuko were all left behind as the two ran out into an open underground space. A waterfall fell on the far side and long, rectangular pools of water spread from it on either side of the space. It might have been a grand courtyard before it was buried deep below the earth. Sokka was numb to it.

“Sokka!” Aang shook him. “Sokka!” He shook again. “ _ Sokka! _ ” 

“Huh?” the watertribesman managed to come back to some sort of awareness. He was still processing the betrayal, the pain in his chest that was back like a twisted knife. 

“Sokka, I know it’s bad. I know it hurts. But please, you need to be ready. I can’t protect you and fight Azula, she’s too powerful. I need you!” Aang’s face was lined with concern. Sokka took in what he said. Aang was right. He needed to pull it together, just until they could escape and get out of this mess. He could process later. He could hurt later.

Behind them, Azula and her entourage thundered into the large cavern. Sokka locked eyes with Zuko as he assumed a fighting stance next to Aang. Oh, he could hurt later. But he could be angry  _ now _ . 

Azula launched after Aang, but Sokka was completely focused on the Fire Nation prince. He lashed out first, punching a burst of flame in the latter’s direction.

“Sokka, I don’t want to fight you,” Zuko called out as he redirected Sokka’s attack. “I just need the avatar. I can let you go!” 

“Seems to me like you already did that, Zuko,” Sokka bit back, pushing another wave of fire at his  _ soulmate _ . The watertribesman’s anger boiled in his gut. The warmth of the energy inside him felt like burning acid in his blood. His bright bursts of blue flame were almost white with the force of it.

Zuko parried every blast of flame, backing up slightly with the push. Sokka kept up his barrage of unskilled blasts.

“What are you doing, Zuko?” Azula’s voice intruded. “You going easy on your soulmate?”

The commentary seemed to ignite something in Zuko, and Sokka found himself suddenly on the defensive. He felt the hair on his arms singe with each blast he broke with his forearms. He smelled burning leather after kicking a particularly large blast away. Of course, Zuko was a highly trained firebender. What chance did Sokka really have?

Wait, there was one advantage Sokka had. One thing he was more used to than his so-called soulmate. He remembered back to the abandoned town, when Azula lashed out at Iroh. Sokka channeled all his hurt, all his pain, all the horrible emotions he had felt and was feeling in that moment.

He saw the precise moment Zuko’s footwork stuttered. The prince grimaced, hand flickering to his chest before coming back up. Sokka summoned all his rage and lashed out again. It seemed the force of the emotions took Zuko off his game. He stumbled and had to roll backwards as he was knocked off his feet by the blast. 

_ This is what betrayal feels like, Zuko. _

_ Hurts, doesn’t it? _

Zuko lashed back out toward Sokka, but each time he did Sokka saw his muscles seize as if wracked with pain. The watertribesman advanced on the prince and backed him up almost to the entrance of the cavern. Zuko seemed more and more angry as he backed up, and he fought harder and harder. Sokka’s advantage was dwindling. 

A bright light shone from behind Sokka, distracting him. He turned, and watched in awe as Aang lifted from the ground. He glowed from the Avatar State. Sokka flicked a glance at Zuko, who was similarly transfixed by the display. Sokka prepared to lash out again when another flash of light startled him. It was like a bolt of lightning underground. 

He saw Aang start to fall limp. Instinct took over, and Sokka sprinted toward the falling boy. He just managed to catch him, softening his landing even though it sent Sokka sprawling as well. He looked up into Azula’s face, and for a moment he thought he really was about to die. That this was where his destiny ended.

Azula was launched to the side by a massive blast of flames. Iroh ran in front of Sokka and Aang. 

“Go!” he yelled. “I’ll hold them off for as long as I can!” Iroh used his blasts of fire to block an attack from Zuko, a chunk of rock thrown by the Dai Li. Sokka did not have time to thank him, but he hoped Iroh would understand how thankful he was. Sokka grabbed Aang and picked him up in his arms. He cradled Aang to his chest as he sprinted toward a nearby archway. He saw stairs there and climbed as fast as he could, faster than he ever thought he could. He could not feel Aang breathing in his arms.

Guilt wracked through Sokka yet again. This was his fault. He asked Aang to come back, to rescue him and… He actually let his guard down. He tried to give things a chance, and now he might have doomed the world by getting the avatar killed. But deeper than the guilt, he ached from the betrayal. He blamed himself for being so stupid. So naive. 

The next few minutes were a blur, but suddenly Toph was there. And Katara. Oh, no, Katara!

“Aang!” she cried out when she saw the boy in her brother’s arms. 

“We have to get to Appa!” Toph yelled out above both of the sibling’s panicking. They made it to the air bison and up into the Earth Kingdom sky. They did not look back at Ba Sing Se. Sokka held Toph as Katara pulled out her vial of water from the North Pole oasis. The sun set as she used it to heal Aang, and the boy coughed and opened his eyes. Sokka almost sobbed with relief. Aang fell back unconscious.

“Sokka, we have to find somewhere safe to camp for the night. I need Aang to lay flat on his stomach as much as possible,” Katara’s voice was calm and steady, completely at odds with the pain and worry painted across her face. Sokka took Appa’s reins and began looking without any further comment.

“Will he be okay?” Toph asked. It almost made Sokka cry again to hear the genuine concern and seriousness in the girl’s voice. She sounded scared.

“I don’t know, Toph. I hope so. I really, really hope so,” was all Katara said. 

Sokka managed to find a clearing near a cliffside. Below, a river cut through the landscape. The watertribesman left Katara to care for Aang. Toph was still asleep on Appa, but he did not bother moving her. Sokka just went off by himself, making his way to the cliff. He sat not far from the edge. He pulled his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. The tears started suddenly, tearing out of him like something wild. He looked up at the shining full moon.

“Yue?” Sokka breathed. It was more of a prayer than anything else. He buried his face back in his legs. The air shifted around him. 

“Yue… he… he left me… he left me…” a cool hand wrapped over Sokka’s shoulder. The cold arm pushed its way around to rest against Sokka’s chest. It pulled him back until he rested against soft, flowing fabric. Bright light shone from behind Sokka’s closed eyelids. He turned to cry into the ethereal form.

“I miss you… I tried to… I tried to let myself move on… but he left, too…” he sobbed. By this point, Sokka was nearly cradled like a babe. A soft hand came up to stoke Sokka’s face, to rub its fingers through his hair. 

“Why don’t I get to love anyone, Yue? Why don’t I get to be happy? I thought everything would be okay if I just let it happen… but I wasn’t enough. I am never enough. I wasn’t enough of a warrior for my dad, I wasn’t enough to save you, I wasn’t strong enough to be there like Suki wanted me to, and now I am not enough for him to want to be better. I’m not enough to keep them from leaving me.”

“Oh, Sokka…” Yue’s voice echoed as if coming from a great distance. 

When Sokka’s eyes shot open, there was no one there.

He was alone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zuko... you broke his heart... why... but don't worry, haha. Also, this chapter was the inspiration for the tag "Spirit World Ex-Machina" for obvious reasons, but I cannot bring myself to care that much. Sorry to defile such a wonderful hard magic system with soft magic shenanigans. Anyway, thanks for reading. I appreciate you, and I love you. Have a good rest of your evening, morning, afternoon, whenever. :) (also, this chapter is like... twice the length of most others... whoops lol)


	12. Sokka's Master

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place during "Sokka's Master"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey so... I'm not dead. Life has been crazy but here are the FOUR chapters I owe you so there you go. :)

Sokka tried in vain to help his friends put out the meteor fire, but everything just made it worse. When he tried to control the spread of the flames, he pushed too hard and wound up forcing the flames higher and hotter, making them even harder to quash. Eventually Katara yelled for Sokka to keep back and let the rest handle it. The words bit into Sokka’s self-esteem, but he knew she was not purposefully being mean. 

Ever since Ba Sing Se, since  _ him _ , Sokka was out-of-sorts. When he tried to firebend, it either came on too strong or too weak. He could not focus. He joked and laughed with the rest, but the smiles never reached his eyes. He even tried to talk to Yue, really talk to her, but his connection to the spirit world seemed just as tumultuous as everything else. And every time his emotions caused him to falter, he felt more guilty for bringing Team Avatar down, for holding them back. Sokka wanted desperately to push past this, but he struggled still. He just wanted to be useful again.

The next day, when he heard about the Fire Nation sword master, the watertribesman snapped at the opportunity. His melee combat training had waned as he practiced firebending, and maybe going back to his roots would help re-center him. Help him figure out how to… well… how to actually function again. 

The rest of the gang seemed supportive enough, so when the sun crested the horizon in the morning, Sokka took off on the long walk to the sword master’s estate. After a session of rather enthusiastic knocking, the impressive door opened. An older man looked down at Sokka with blatant distaste. He carried himself like a man with literally anything better to do. When the watertribesman explained that he was there to learn from the master, Sokka’s spirit fell even further when he realized he should have brought some sort of gift. How could he expect to just be taught for free? Ugh, so stupid. The grumpy-butler-man led the way inside anyway, and Sokka decided he would at least see this through. 

He was led into an large room that opened to an even larger courtyard. Another older man, though younger than grumpy-butler-man, sat cross-legged in front of a low table. With a grace that made Sokka suck in a breath, the man dipped a brush into ink and set about writing on the paper in front of him. While Sokka could not see the characters from where he stood, he knew the lines were impeccably straight, the curves just the right angles. It was all in the man moved his whole arm, only using his wrist for the finest of adjustments. No movement was wasted. Everything calculated. Optimized.

“Another would-be student come to petition the master. Go on. Tell me about how you are the most skilled swordsman in your village. How you have bested every opponent. Tell me all the reasons you are worthy of being taught the art of the sword from Master Piandao,” even the man’s voice and words had an efficient edge. He spoke like he had said the same words a thousand times before, and his lips were raw with their repetition. 

The weight of the master’s expectations fell heavy on Sokka’s shoulders. He was not the best warrior, not even in his own village. He had been defeated again and again. Nothing went his way. No one stayed. No one chose him. No one would choose him. He was not worthy. Sokka fell to his knees.

“I’m not sure I am worthy. In fact, I don’t think I am. I’ve been a tremendous failure. I just… I want to try to find my worth again. Or maybe for the first time. I can’t imagine why you would choose me for a student, but I guess I am still asking for you to. This probably wasn’t the best introduction…” Sokka trailed off with a nervous laugh. Emotion stuck in the back of his throat as the master’s eyes narrowed. 

“What is your name, young man?”

“Sokka of… the colonies. The earth kingdom colonies!” Sokka choked out.

“I see. Well, let’s find out together how worthy you are. I will train you.”

Sokka’s heart soared. 

“The first thing you must learn is that your sword is a part of you,” the master started as he moved fluidly through the warm air. Sokka watched with rapt attention. “Tell me, Sokka, do you know the difference between how your weapons and your firebending are extensions of yourself?”

The watertribesman sputtered, “What- Wait- How-”

“A great warrior is able to size up their opponent and read them like a well-worn book. You radiate the energy of a firebender, and a strong one. But you have yet to answer my question,” Piandao gently scolded as he continued running through his forms.

“Oh, uh… Well, my father trained me in a few weapons growing up before he… before he had to go join the war effort. He always told me that my weapons were extensions of my limbs, even those I throw. I should treat each movement like I am moving my own arm.”

“Very good. That kind of training is how we get precision. Go on.”

“I learned from another friend of mine that the power of our weapons comes from how we breathe through the movements we make. That even something like a- like a stick or something like that could be a strong weapon if wielded correctly. It… It is a lot like what I’ve learned about firebending, honestly. Though I haven’t really had any formal training.”

Piandao straightened from a particularly acrobatic form and turned to the younger man with a slight smirk.

“Extensions of your limbs, controlled by your breath… I can’t really tell whether you are describing a sword or a flame. What exactly is the difference?” the master kept his critical eyes trained on Sokka’s nervous expression. 

“I guess… there really isn’t much of one, is there? Just a different type of weapon,” Sokka hesitated with every word, but breathed a sigh of relief as Piandao dropped a hand on his shoulder.

“You are very right, Sokka. I cannot teach you much by way of firebending, but many of my lessons will apply, as they do with not only the sword but all weapons. I am quite happy to learn that you are not solely relying on your bending to get you by as a warrior. I have known many young men in my time that lacked the discipline to study anything besides what would increase the raw power of their bending. By learning the way of the sword, you give yourself more critical options in a fight, and you learn how to practice all your arts with precision. And speaking of precision, it is time for your next lesson. Calligraphy!” 

Sokka followed the master back into the large room from earlier and sat in front of the low table. Piandao laid out a clean sheet of paper, ink, and handed Sokka a brush. Before instructing the watertribesman further, he paused.

“Your eyepatch is of very fine craftsmanship, though I can tell it was not made with many proper tools. Did you craft it yourself?”

Sokka grimaced, “Yes. My… I only needed it recently. I made it on the road.”

“That must have been very hard on you, to suffer such an injury far from home.”

“I’ve- I’ve gotten used to it.”

“Being far from home?”

“Being hurt.”

Piandao hummed but pressed no further. Sokka let out a slow and thankful breath as the master started talking about calligraphy. The pain in his chest was back with a vengeance, but he pressed through it. He fought it back with his weird sense of humor, rubbing his inky face across the paper into a strange dark mask. The master seemed less than pleased, but the motion made Sokka feel better. Joking was something he could do.

The watertribesman did his best on the next few tasks, and while he got the sense that his rock-chair and rainbow-painting were not necessarily well-received, Master Piandao continued to treat Sokka with grace. In between every task, Sokka sparred with grumpy-butler-man. His progress was slow, but he felt himself getting more confident with each practice. 

Several days passed under the master’s tutelage, and Sokka knew he would not be able to stay much longer. He had held up the group long enough. He told Piandao a censored version of his predicament.

“I am so thankful for the teaching, master, but the group I am traveling with needs to move on soon. I know I still have so much to learn, but I can only stay for another day probably, maybe two,” Sokka winced as he finished, expecting his master to be upset that he began his training without the intention to stay until the very end.

“I understand, Sokka. You have made so much progress in such a short time, and if you consider to practice the basics, you will soon become an even more skilled swordsman. I am still saddened that my time as your master is coming to an end soon. There are still some crucial lessons we must get to before I can let you go in good conscience. If you can spare me two days, I will make sure I impart them.”

Sokka considered it for only a moment, “Of course, Master Piandao.”

“Good,” the older man smirked and started walking toward a large forge in a corner of the courtyard. “First things first, I would like to teach you how to craft your own weapon. If a sword is to be properly part of you, you need to be involved in every step of its creation. We will start by selecting the materials.”

That is what led to Sokka staying by the forge all night, shoveling coal into the flames to keep it hot enough to melt a chunk of meteorite the gang was kind enough to help Sokka move to the master’s mansion. Sweat dripped off Sokka’s torso from having to constantly stay so close to the roaring flames, but he was determined to keep the fire going the traditional way. Piandao watched over him throughout the process, staying up with Sokka through the night as they prepared the molten metal. 

As the watertribesman prepared the mold for his sword, ideas flooded his mind. One in particular stood out to him…

“Master, this metal required so much heat to melt, and for such a long time. Do you think…?” Sokka trailed off, almost certain Piandao would find the suggestion stupid.

“I think I understand where your mind is going, Sokka. That is a great idea, though I don’t quite know how you would be able to merge firebending and the blade.”

Sokka grinned, “I have an idea! If I insert a thin stip of less heat-resistant metal into the blade while working on it, then I can melt it out later. It should be thin enough that it won’t impact the sturdiness of the blade or the pointiness, but I might be able to shoot a powerful and concentrated flame through it. Like an extension of the sword made out of fire! A few months ago I did something similar with just my hands and was able to make a concentrated flame that melted steel!” he was so excited, that he did not even think about his recent troubles with bending in general. He just wanted to experiment and create it.

“If you can get it to work, then that blade will truly be a merging of your two skills, sword fighting and firebending. It would be fitting for you.”

The young man’s smile turned almost maniacal as he frantically set about working on the hot metal. He fiddled with it this way and that, had to start over several times, and Master Piandao was no small help when it came to the finer details. The sun rose and began to set again before Sokka held up a fine black blade.

“Ah-ha!” He declared as he twisted the blade in the afternoon light. He watched it glint.

The blade was thin and long, but it appeared to be of a fairly standard style. The hilt was a golden bronze, but still very sturdy with a two handed grip. The real notable feature of the sword, other than the material itself, was the thin hollow space within it. When Sokka placed his hands in the proper grip, his palms rested over very slight, smoothed grooves that opened into the hollow space, large enough to divert a flame into but not too large as to risk being uncomfortable in his hands. The hollow space extended from the core within the hilt almost all the way to the tip. About an inch before the pointed tip of the sword, still great for traditional stabbing, a thin slit opened along the width. If Sokka did the measurements right, compressing his fire down into the small space and out a refined opening would allow the fire to condense into sort of a beam of fire he could wield as extra length on the sword itself when he desired. Now was just the testing phase. 

“I have trained many swordsmen, and swordswomen, over the years, but none have proven quite so clever in their weapon design as you, Sokka. I am very pleased. Would you demonstrate how the sword works?”

The watertribesman gulped, but he stepped out from the forge into the bright courtyard and readied his stance. He had not been able to control his firebending well since the… since Ba Sing Se, but this felt difference. He had built in his control. He could clearly visualize how everything should work. He had planned and diagrammed and really thought this through. It was all a very Sokka way of doing things, not spontaneous at all. 

But still firebending. 

But it also was not that scary anymore.

Sokka breathed deep, found that place inside of him, and exhaled.

From the tip of the sword came a thin stream of fire that stretched way to far and wide into the air above the watertribesman. Sokka quickly pulled back on the power slightly, and the flame stream shortened and thinned and ultimately extended just a few inches past the end of his sword proper. The flame was so hot the blue looked almost white in the afternoon sun. Sokka imagined his blade would quickly heat up, so the fire-sword would have to not be an all-the-time thing. However, he also imagined the uses for having a fire-sword extension capable of melting most other metals, especially in combat. His chest swelled with pride even as he extinguished the fire.

“Well done, Sokka! I know you must be eager to practice with that blade, but before I teach you my final lesson, I think it best that we both partake in an afternoon tea together and then an early night of rest. We have tomorrow morning to conclude your training, and it will do not good to press on now when we are both so weary. I am having the tea set out now.”

Piandao smiled at the young man and turned toward the house, and it was only as he mentioned the fatigue that Sokka fealt the heaviness in his bones. He carefully slid his sword into the sheath his master gave him and followed into the house for the tea. 

He grimaced at the smell of jasmine.

“It has been a busy and exciting day. I figured a nice cup of calming jasmine tea and a light supper would be fitting. Come sit with me. Do they have good tea in the colonies?”

Sokka missed Piandao’s appraising look as they sat across from each other at the low table. The watertribesman’s mind was preoccupied suddenly with the thoughts of soulmates and destiny. The crushing weight of his unworthiness settled low on Sokka’s shoulders. Yue, Suki,  _ him _ , and now lying to Master Piandao, who was so kind to him as a master, lying to him to get training to defeat his nation? It made Sokka sick to his stomach. The smell of the tea stuck in his throat like bile.

Sokka bowed low over the table. His emotions roiled like the ocean in a storm. He could not lie to his master anymore.

“Master Piandao, I am so sorry. I have lied to you. My name is Sokka, but I am not from the Earth Kingdom colonies. I am from the Southern Water Tribe,” Sokka swallowed, and it felt like he was eating sand. 

“I know.”

Sokka’s head shot up.

“What?” 

“If you are going to stay undercover in the Fire Nation, you need to pick a different name. Sokka is a distinctly Water Tribe name, meaning something like ‘understanding’ in the old Water Tribe tongue if I remember correctly. Maybe go by Lee. There are so many Lee’s.”

“You… You are not mad that I lied to you?”

Piandao picked up his tea and took a generous sip. He swirled the loose leaves around in the cup before looking back up at the watertribesman.

“I never appreciate being lied to, but I completely understand why you chose to do so. You had no reason to trust me, and it pleases me that you have come to respect me enough to tell me now. My people have not been kind to the rest of the world, but the art of the sword belongs to no one nation. I do not discriminate when it comes to my students.”

Sokka’s mind floundered, struggled to make any connections, “So… So… You’re not going to throw me out? Or attack me? Or just… just leave me?”

Piandao must have sensed the weight behind Sokka’s questions. He leaned forward and clapped a calloused hand to Sokka’s shoulder and squeezed. The young man thought of his father.

“No, Sokka. You are the one who is going to be leaving me, and I will be sad to see you go. You have been more than worthy of my teaching. I am honored to have had you for a student, even for this short time. It is not often a master gets to say they have trained a soulbender.”

Sokka reached up and removed his eye patch. He figured it must have been obvious considering he was a firebender from the Southern Water Tribe. He tried to process his master’s words.

“I’m… worthy?” he choked on the word.

“Yes,” Piandao said simply. His eyes were trained on his pupil, careful and compassionate. Said student bit back tears.

“I’ve had a lot of people leave me. Or be disappointed by me. Or… or outright reject me in favor of something else that is worse for them. Then I stopped being useful to my group, just getting in the way because my emotions have made me all over the place and just… I haven’t been enough. I haven’t been enough for anyone. Not worthy of anyone. Of my destiny. Or of anything.”

Piandao stood, abruptly but not aggressively, “Come with me, Sokka. It is time for your final lesson.”

“What?” Sokka wiped his eyes and stood without thinking, still completely lost. He trailed behind as Piandao made his way toward the sparring area. The master turned and drew the sword he always kept close by his side.

“True mastery of the sword takes years even for the most promising of students. The same goes for the art of firebending. You have the unfortunate disadvantage of being a relatively new learner of both masteries. However, you do have one advantage most do not. You are clever. Draw your blade.”

_ Being clever is the most important quality in a soldier. _

Sokka did as instructed, “But lots of people are smart.” 

“You are more than just smart. You are creatively clever. You come up with unique solutions to complex problems that are so decidedly  _ you _ that your enemy cannot predict them.”

_ Boomerang. Club. Fan. Fire-sword. _

“You have managed to make up for your lack of training in firebending by building your ability on techniques and tools of your traditional warrior training, and you make up for your sword training by adding elements of firebending. You have created a whole style of fighting of your own. I expect with enough practice, you will be able to beat even a well-trained fighter, if only once before they learn your tactics. But once is all you need on the battlefield. Now, we spar. Focus on the techniques I taught you, but where I excel beyond you, use your creativity and advantage.”

_ Just be Sokka. _

The watertribesman pushed his whirling thoughts from his mind. He breathed deeply and drew his sword. He hardly recognized its weight at his side before it was in his hand, already almost as natural as his club or boomerang. Piandao did not wait a single moment to attack.

Sokka had to bend almost completely backward to avoid the point of his master’s blade. He watched it hiss past his nose and rolled to the side as Piandao corrected his motion to sweep downwards. Sokka brought his sword up just in time to block another swing. He backed up continuously and jumped onto a nearby wall to avoid a cut that would have severed him at the knees.

“Good, use your superior agility! You have an excellent sense for defense and running away, but you need to believe in your ability to attack!”

Sokka lept from the wall and landed behind the master. Piandao turned quickly, but Sokka sent his boomerang flying mid-flip before the older man saw. The weapon would have hit him squarely on the side of the head on the return if he had not seen it out of the corner of his eye and whipped his sword up to knock it from its path. Sokka took the opening and lunged forward with his blade.

With the dexterity expected in a master, Piandao pivoted and avoided the lunge. He thwacked Sokka on the back with the butt of his sword as the young man shot past, and Sokka knew it would be a bruise the next day. He did not slow down though. He used his momentum to get some distance and raise his sword in a defensive stance again. 

Master Piandao moved toward Sokka like a dancer, but as he neared, the watertribesman cut clean through a nearby torch, spilling oil and flame across the rocks of the courtyear. Piandao quickly appraised the new obstacle and adjusted his path. 

Sokka used his sword to sweep the flames aside, getting slightly further away and giving himself an extra moment to think as the flames slowed the master. He grabbed the Kyoshi fan he now kept on his belt. He flicked it open and held it alongside his blade as he kept a watchful eye on the other swordsman.

Piandao raised his eyebrow at the new addition, but he continued his approach around the flames. Just when he was close enough to lash out to Sokka, the watertribesman flicked the fan and sent a wave of flames in the man’s direction. Piandao was forced to dodge out of the way, rolling and coming up swinging. He looked visibly startled when Sokka opted to drop his sword as the master lunged. 

Remembering back, Sokka executed Suki’s move perfectly. Piandao was more experienced, however, and rather than getting his sword yanked from his hand, he rolled with the momentum… right into the flames.

Sokka grabbed his sword quickly as he shoved the fan in his boot. He checked to make sure he had not seriously hurt his master, but Piandao had rolled through the patch of fire and discarded his outer robe on the other side, leaving the fabric to smolder on the ground. He was visibly panting. Sokka was tiring him out.

Sokka lunged through the flames at the older man. Piandao deftly deflected the attack and countered with his own sweep. Sokka felt his control of the fight slipping as they continued with their swords. He swung, and he was again blocked and locked into a stalemate with his master. Sokka saw how his sword was positioned and realized the opportunity. 

He channeled his fire into his blade. The stream of fire that came out would have pierced his master’s chest, but Piandao knew this trick. In the few moments between when Sokka sucked in his breath and the fire came through the blade, the Piandao twisted and brought his blade to Sokka’s throat. The watertribesman gulped and felt cold metal. He dropped his sword and waited for an impossibly long moment.

Master Piandao dropped his blade and smirked at his student. Sokka bent and picked up his sword and walked over to retrieve his fallen boomerang. Grumpy-butler-man rushed out of the house with heavy blankets to pat out the various low fires that still littered the ground where the oil had not quite burned out yet. 

“Very good, Sokka. If I was not familiar with your style at all, I think you might have bested me. You managed to surprise me!” He sounded so proud.

The young man felt his own pride swell, but he was humble enough to understand it was not all his doing. He bowed low.

“Thank you, master. Without you, I don’t know that I ever would have put together the best way for me to fight.”

“I’m not so sure of that, but I appreciate your humility nonetheless. You are a very capable fighter, and I hope now you understand that.”

Sokka looked down at his boomerang. He ran his fingers over the smooth surface.

“It doesn’t matter, though. How capable I am. My emotions get the better of me. Or I still… I’m still not enough.”

The adrenaline of the fight slowly dissipated. The weight of all of Sokka’s insecurities settled in its place.

Piandao marched over to Sokka, and for a second he thought the man might strike him, the look in his eyes was so fierce. Instead, he grabbed Sokka and pulled him into a tight hug. 

“Sokka, I am not very good with the emotional side of these things. I have no idea who has hurt you, or how that hurt must make you feel. But I know that no matter how others have harmed you, either directly or indirectly, it is not because you are not enough,” the master pulled away slightly, but he kept his grip on the younger man’s shoulders. “There is no outside measure of what ‘enough’ is, Sokka. There is no such thing as ‘enough’ for another person. All that matters is that you are enough for yourself. That you find your worth within yourself, not within the acceptance or fulfillment of others. I can tell you over and over that you are a skilled warrior, but you will never believe it until you decide for yourself that you are. Your worth is here,” Piandao poked Sokka’s chest. “Your worth is like your boomerang. No matter how hard to try to throw it away, reject it, it will always come back to you. It is your choice whether you embrace it or let it hit you with all of the weight of your insecurities.”

Sokka kept his gaze focused on Boomerang as he spoke, “Thank you… It’s just… I tried to open up to myself. I tried just… being me. Embracing who I am. I trusted so much. But that just led to more hurt.”

“Clearly you did not hear me. I did not say embracing who you are. I said embrace your worth. Accepting who you are certainly helps, but we are humans. We are imperfect beings. We will always disappoint ourselves. But that does not for a second diminish our worth. Whatever ‘enough’ winds up being for you, Sokka, you have to leave room for your imperfections. Maybe you opened up too quickly to someone too broken for your trust at that time. Maybe it was a mistake. But their shortcomings are not your fault, and your worth was untouched. You are worthy. You. Are. Worthy.”

Sokka felt tears escape onto his cheeks. He clutched his boomerang to his chest. Piandao gently brought Sokka’s hands back out and wrapped his own around the curved weapon.

“Sokka, would you allow me just a moment with your boomerang? You can follow me to the forge.”

The watertribesman nodded, trusting. The master took the weapon from his hands and led the way to the forge. He sat at the work table and brought out his fine engraving tools. Sokka could not see what Piandao did as he bent over the boomerang, but it was not long before the older man stood again and turned to him.

“Here, Sokka. I made sure you had a reminder.”

Sokka looked down at Boomerang. Along the width of the thinner side near the end, Piandao had engraved a single word. The lettering was simple and clear. The message was even clearer. 

“I don’t have anything else to teach you. You probably will want to be on your way. Can’t keep the avatar waiting,” Piandao winked at Sokka’s shocked expression. “Take this with you as well. As a token.” He handed Sokka a Pai Sho tile depicting a white lotus. The younger man took the tile gingerly, like it was extremely fragile. He put it safely away.

“Thank you, master. I will not forget your lessons or your words. I will carry this reminder with me always. I will practice… all of it.” 

Piandao smiled and returned Sokka’s bow. He walked the young man to his front door and watched as Sokka walked off into the distance. It was not until the mansion was far behind Sokka that he pulled Boomerang out to examine once again. He really would have to practice all of his lessons, but having the physical reminder was helpful. He was incredibly thankful all over again for Master Piandao. He wished he could have repaid him somehow. Maybe the best way to honor his master would be to do honor to his teaching. Sokka traced the word etched into the metal and smiled.

_ Worth _ . 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fire-sword? Fire sword. 
> 
> (This chapter isn't my favorite but whatever. I might revisit it when this whole thing is done.)


	13. The Day of Black Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place during both parts of "The Day of Black Sun"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter I owe you 2/4

Sokka bit back his nerves as he watched the various waterbenders propel his underwater ships along. Admittedly, everything was going well up to that point, but Sokka worried at any moment something could go horrifically wrong. Plus, ever since he really started working on his firebending, Sokka found to cold and damp more and more uncomfortable. It was not that Sokka could not handle the cold, he was raised in the South Pole, but the discomfort came from somewhere deep and hard to describe. 

The watertribesman startled out of his nervous brooding when his sister came to lean against the wall beside him. Katara looked tired, but not exhausted.

“You look worse than me, and I just got off a shift bending this tube of steel full of people deep in the ocean,” she said lightheartedly, but Sokka could hear the concern below the surface.

“Not too tired I hope? You’ll need your strength for the invasion.”

“I’ll be fine Sokka, nothing this brief rest won’t fix. I’m trying to ask why you look about ready to keel over.”

“Just… its cold and damp in here. It’s… it feels really weird. Bad weird. I can’t really explain it. I think it has something to do with all this,” Sokka snapped his fingers, a flame coming to his pinched fingers. The flame was comforting in the same way everything the else was not.

Katara flashed a look to the flame, but her expression was open and neutral, “I think I understand what you are talking about, at least to an extent. I felt that way when we were in the desert, you know, after Appa was taken? Yeah, it was hot, but I felt worse than just hot. Wow, it is really hard to explain.” Katara laughed softly. Sokka joined her.

“Bending is so weird.”

“Yeah, yeah it is. Hey, I always wanted to ask if- wait, ignore me.”

Sokka quirked his eyebrow at Katara. She was not one to not speak her mind. She turned her head away from her brother slightly, just enough to hide her face.

“What were you going to ask? If its about something bending related, you still know way more than I do at this point.”

“No, well kinda. I just… I am really happy that you seem to be in a better place with all that now. You were finally doing better with Yue, and then Ba Sing Se seemed to ruin everything. But over the past couple of weeks, you’ve gotten even better than you were before. You really need to introduce me to that Master Piandao so I can thank him.”

“As much as I am happy to hear you’ve been marking my progress like the mother-type-person you are, you still haven’t asked your question,” Sokka kept his expression light, hoping Katara would understand that he was doing better. That they could start really connecting again. It was the truth. He missed just being her brother. He did not want all the complicated mess of his life to keep them from staying close.

“Okay so… and you  _ not  _ have to answer this if it makes you uncomfortable or anything like that but… what does your bending feel like for you? I’ve asked Aang and Toph and Haru and pretty much everyone we’ve met, and it seems like its a little different for everyone. I just… I would like to know what its like for you?” She blushed as she asked, and Sokka fought to hold in laughter. The question was much more innocent than what he imagined. He sobered quickly when he realized that he had not ever really had a deep conversation with Katara about bending, like on a practical level. He hated that she felt like she could not ask him something like that before, but he understood.

“I don’t mind answering, I just need to think for a second. Um… Hey, you know that moment right before you sneeze? When you suck in a deep breath and for a second all you can feel is that tingle in your head before it comes? It kinda feels like that, only the tingle is in my stomach rather than my head, and I can control it, and its not sudden… I guess that’s not a good description, but it was the closest I could think of. That moment before you sneeze you feel so tight but it almost feels good, and then you just release everything and feel that relief. So… yeah. It’s like a flame-sneeze I guess.”

Katara did not laugh. She considered Sokka’s answer thoughtfully before speaking, “When I bend, it feels kinda like when we’d run around the village when we were really little, how we wouldn’t stop until we were so hot and sweaty in our furs that our limbs felt all heavy and limp, but it felt good. Or yeah its also like when we went swimming for the whole day at that river, how my body felt after. It is the same sort of feeling. Everything is heavier and looser. Does that make sense?”

“Yeah, I think that does! Firebending is all about tension and release, while waterbending is about smooth and even control. Your element is heavier, but mine requires a lot more energy upfront. It’s all a balance.”

Sokka beamed at Katara. She smiled back. 

“When did you get wise, Sokka? I feel like I blinked and you’re actually an older brother. It is annoying though. It’s also super annoying that firebenders don’t have to worry about carrying anything around. Airbenders and earthbenders, too. There’s always air and earth around, and you make fire, but I’m kind of out of luck if there isn’t a decent amount of water nearby. I can do fairly well with what is in my waterskin, but if I lose it or something it sucks.”

“I get that. You do kinda get the short end of the stick. But hey, fire doesn’t last that long, right? So firebenders have to constantly make it. It’s pretty exhausting after a while. I think in an endurance match, you’d have it.”

“I don’t know, you’ve gotten pretty good lately.”

“Only with my weapons to help me. I’m not a great straight-forward bender.”

“Well, want to spar?”

“What?”

“There’s some space at the back… We’ll be there soon so I don’t need to worry about another shift moving us. If we stick to nothing too crazy, it could be worthwhile. We need to get in the fighting mindset anyway.”

“Katara, when did you become the insane one! We are about to fight the entire Fire Nation. We don’t need to practice on each other.”

“Come on, humor me.”

“Katara-“ Sokka bit off the rest of his complaint when he saw the dark and serious look on his sister’s face. He gulped.

“Look, Sokka, this… this is a big deal. Like you said, we are going up against the Fire Nation. The war could end today. But even if that happens, even if that happens, we… there’s no guarantees,” her eyes sparkled with tears, “one of us might not make it, okay? And I don’t know, I just… I’ve never gotten really practice my bending with my older brother, okay? Sokka, you taught me how fish, how to hold a spear, and… I just wanted to be able to learn something else with you. One more time.”

Sokka tried not to cry as well, “I don’t want to do something if you’re doing just ‘cause you think someone might die. We can’t think like that.”

“Please, Sokka. I just want to do something with you where the stakes aren’t life and death. Please?”

He could not bear to say no. 

“Fine. Just,  _ when _ we make it out of this, we will have a real sparring session, alright? Where I can use Boomerang and the space fire-sword and everything, okay? You need versatile training!” Sokka tried to slip into his standard leader-mode. Katara’s smile did not quite meet her eyes, but at least it was there. 

Sokka led the way toward the back of the ship. There was really not enough space for a proper spar, so he got to thinking quickly. Katara pulled the water from her waterskins and spun it around her as she waited for Sokka to say something. His mind whirled furiously. Suddenly, he remembered back to the drill, more specifically the steam that powered it.

“It really is too small back here to do a proper spar, there just isn’t any way.  _ But _ , I do think we can work on something. I have an idea for a combo-attack!”

“A what?” Katara looked incredulous and interested at the same time.

“A combo-attack! Well, it’s not really an attack, but it might be useful. So I know you can use your waterbending to make mist, but its not easy and practical during battle because it takes awhile to get a decent cover. But what if you could make something like that super fast?”

Katara’s eyes widened.

“Are you thinking… steam?”

“Exactly, dear sister! You are catching up!”

“That might actually work, if you can make a powerful enough blast to turn the water into a vapor. I normally keep the water fairly cold because I’m trying to not lose much of it against the firebenders, but if I plan for it to be vaporized, then it should do so rather easily.”

“Yeah! Let’s try it! Small, though.”

Katara pulled her small ball of water in front of her and nodded toward her brother. Sokka breathed in deeply and nodded. Katara shot the water out to the side, meeting perfectly with a thin streak of flame generated by Sokka. The elements met and exploded into a small cloud of steam. Sokka leapt into the air and pumped his fist in victory, but he did not take into consideration the fact that he was in an enclosed space and wound up punching the very hard shell of the underwater ship. 

“You are such an idiot,” Katara laughed out as Sokka cradled his sore hand. He smiled in response, though. Their little trick worked, and it worked because the siblings worked together. With their bending. It warmed Sokka’s heart. 

A familiar voice approached the back of the ship, “Hey, who put a hot spring back here?” 

“Hey, Dad!” Katara called out. Sokka watched in awe as she whipped her arms around her head in a swirling motion, drawing the steam back into a smaller cloud. She used one hand to continue condensing the cloud as she held up her waterskin, and the steam steadily rained down and back into the container. 

Chief Hakoda saw the end of Katara’s cleanup as he rounded the corner to where his children were practicing. 

“Oh, were you too coming up with something?”

“Yeah, we figured out how to use our bending to make steam,” Sokka explained, but his throat caught. He saw his father back when Aang was unconscious, yeah. Had been on the boat with him for almost three weeks. But that had been in the wake of Zuko’s betrayal. Sokka was definitely not himself in that time, and he certainly was not bending at that time. It had just dawned on Sokka that his father had never seen him firebend, and they were about to go into battle together. In fact, Sokka’s firebending was a part of the battle plan. 

Hakoda must have read the expression on Sokka’s face. He seemed to be able to read Sokka’s mind sometimes, so the son was not surprised. 

“Hey, Katara, do you mind if I borrow your brother for a few minutes?”

“Oh, no, of course. Sokka, I’ll wait back here if you want to practice a few more times?”   


“Sounds good, sis,” Sokka nodded to Katara as he followed Hakoda into another part of the ship. The current shift of waterbenders stood nearby, moving their arms in smooth sweeps. Hakoda paused and leaned against the hull. He motioned for Sokka to join him. Sokka leaned in close so at least their conversation would be fairly private. 

“I haven’t had time to really check on you, son. I feel like I am really slacking on my fatherly duties. I don’t want to make you talk about anything you are uncomfortable with, but I will tell you that Bato talked to me about what happened at the abbey. I didn’t want to bring it up after Ba Sing Se because…” Hakoda seemed to struggle with how to phrase what he wanted to say next. Sokka knew where he was going.

“I was depressed, stressed, and generally not very approachable? I know you wouldn’t say it like that, but it is fair. It was a tough time. I appreciate you giving me my space.”

“I’m glad that was the right thing, then. I just worried. I still worry. We haven’t been able to properly talk about anything personal. I know these last few months have been particularly hard on you, and I feel awful that I haven’t been able to be there for you.”

“Please don’t beat yourself up, Dad. You didn’t have any control over what happened, about being at war or anything. What matters is that we are together now.”

Hakoda examined Sokka’s face, and the younger man struggled to keep a neutral expression.

“Sokka, I need to apologize to you.”

The son startled, “For what?”

“For leaving you behind.”

“But… You had to do that. I wasn’t old enough, and Katara needed me around, and the village-”

“All of that is true, but that doesn’t change how much the decision hurt you. I didn’t explain it well enough then; I don’t even know if there was a way to explain it to you before you’ve had these experiences. Even though I don’t regret my decision, I am still sorry it caused you so much pain. Will you forgive me, son?”

Sokka bit back tears and nodded, lunging to hug his father tightly. 

“Thank you, Dad. I really appreciate that.”

“I’m glad. Truth be told, that has been weighing on me for quite a long time. I am happy that we got to clear the air,” Hakoda smiled, and Sokka felt a twinge of annoyance when he realized what just happened. His father was definitely genuine, but he used his opportunity to open up the conversation to deeper topics. He made himself vulnerable first. Sokka hated that his dad’s old tactics were still working.

“I…”

Hakoda got that  _ look _ on his face that Sokka recognized from Katara. Or he guessed he recognized it on Katara from their dad. 

“You don’t have to say anything, son. I am here for you for anything, no matter what, but I absolutely do not expect you to open yourself up if you are not ready to do so,” his expression was warm and gentle and infuriating to the young man. Sokka knew he was going to talk regardless; he just needed to figure out how to confess to his father.

“No, I need to talk to someone about this. It’s hard for me to talk to Katara because she is my younger sister. Aang has other things to worry about, plus he and Toph are still just kids really. I had a master a while ago that helped me some, but I didn’t really talk to him super personally.”

Hakoda slid down the wall until he was sitting against it. Sokka slumped down beside his father. He leaned into the older man slightly, comforted by the grounding presence. The damp and cold of the ship slipped away from his awareness.

“I don’t know how much Katara told you, but when we were at the North Pole, I met a girl kinda like me. She had a big destiny given to her by the spirits. I fell in love with her. I can’t really describe it. It was too fast for it to have been as deep as it was, but it was there. I loved her. Still do, honestly. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to let that go. But her destiny was to die and become the moon spirit. I felt so trapped by my destiny, and she felt trapped by hers, even if she did not know all of it. I felt like I met someone that really understood. But, now that time has passed, I feel more like her father did. He knew his daughter would die young and become the moon spirit. He knew from the day she was born that his time with her would be limited, but he loved her and came to grieve her anyway. He played right into destiny even if he didn’t realize it, and he didn’t seem to regret it. 

I’m sure someone told you, but yeah, my soulmate is the Fire Nation Prince. Zuko is his name. I was determined to hate him. Had every reason to. I hated that my destiny was tied up with him. But… there was this time, in this abandoned town… Zuko seemed to be changing. I didn’t trust him, but it was hard to stay angry at him. And then… then there was Ba Sing Se. It was like what happened with Yue but multiplied by a million. It was fast but… but  _ Dad _ … I think… I think I actually love him,” a tear escaped Sokka’s eye. “I think I somehow managed to fall in love with him in that short time. Everything in the universe told me it was supposed to happen, but when it did… I didn’t mind. It felt nice. I felt good to just  _ give in  _ for once. To just… be me and let it happen. It makes no sense, but I don’t think his betrayal would hurt so badly if it was any other way.”

Hakoda pulled Sokka in closer to his side, his large arm wrapped up his still lanky son. 

“That is not easy, Sokka. I wish I could tell you love gets easier, but that would be a lie. Love takes effort and sometimes it leads to heartbreak. It’s the risk we all take when we open ourselves up to it. Just… You don’t have to answer this, but… do you think you still love him?”

Sokka thought long and hard about it.

“I think so. Whenever I think about him, my chest hurts. To know that he is back in the Fire Nation with his awful father and sister, that he still believes all those lies about needing to have his father restore his honor… it sucks. He’s made so many mistakes, but knowing what led him down that path... Even when he betrayed me… it wrecked me, but we still barely knew each other. I had already reached the point where I was willing to let what happens happen, you know? But he was still figuring out that sort of thing. He wasn’t ready. And these past few days, I’ve felt… I don’t know how to explain it. I think there might be hope. It will be hard to ever trust him, but yeah, I do still love him. I just… I don’t know what I’ll do if he never gets better enough to love me back.”

“Well, you did say you were more open to destiny. Trust it. I hate that it has led you down a path with so much hardship, but if things are supposed to work out, they will. You are an amazing young man, Sokka. You deserve happiness. I hope you find it, in one way or another. I don’t really know what else to say, sorry. Just know I am here for you no matter what destiny has in store. I love you, son.”

“Thanks, Dad. And it’s okay. This is a weird situation. I appreciate you just being there to listen. I haven’t been able to talk about it, but now that I have, I think I understand my own feelings better.”

“I’m glad. Is there anything else you need to discuss with me?”

“I can’t think of anything.”

“Okay, well why don’t you go back to your sister. We’ve been gone a while at this point, and she will drench me if she doesn’t get some more time with you before we land.”

“Alright,” Sokka stood. He and Hakoda shared one more hug before the older watched his son round the corner toward Katara. He finally let his concern show. He really hoped this Zuko boy was worthy of his kind and compassionate son.

Sokka felt infinitely better as he went back to practice with Katara. The pair worked on the steam maneuver until Bato came to tell them that they would be breaching the Fire Nation defenses soon. Sokka tensed, but Katara gave him a reassuring smile. They would make it. The plan would work. The war would end that day.

Hakoda took the lead as the earthbenders all loaded into their tanks. Sokka watched in amazement as the iced-torpedos were sent off, the grates guarding the inner bay of Caldera City destroyed on impact. Sokka’s invention was a perfect fit. It was only a few more moments before Sokka felt the impact of blasts on the outer hull. They were coming up on the beach now, under heavy fire. It was time. Sokka felt the rush of battle tingle in his limbs, the warmth in his core seemed ready to light him on fire in all the best ways. 

The door to the ship fell open, and Sokka lunged forward with the rest of the watertribesmen. He held his sword before him in a two handed grip, but his Kyoshi fan was tucked into his arm bindings, just a minute movement away from being at hand. Boomerang and his club weighed comfortingly on his back. 

Sokka was happy that he thought to have the fan at hand as a projectile came flying through the air toward the forward group, sure to burst into a ball of flame among their ranks. He jumped twisted both fan and blade around in a circular motion. He latched onto the energy of the fire barreling toward him and jerked it with all his strength away from his people. The deflect was not very far, but it was far enough that the explosion only cause a few to stumble rather than be blown to the spirits. 

The soulbender tucked the fan away without missing a step. He sprinted toward a coming komodo-rhino. With a nimbleness that would have made both Suki and Master Piandao proud, Sokka leapt up the beast’s horned head and deftly sliced up the spear of its rider. With a swift kick, the mount was his. He grabbed the reins and quickly pivoted the animal. He saw his father not far off dancing amongst the Fire Nation soldiers. 

Sokka rode over and reached down to Hakoda. The older man pulled himself up onto the beast and called out above the wail of battle.

“You can’t deflect all this incoming fire. We need to take out those battlements!”

“Gotcha,” the son responded, already directing the komodo-rhino toward the cliffs. Katara met them between two of the battlements, hopping off of Appa.

“You two take that one, I’ve got this one,” Hakoda motioned toward the two nearby battlements. The siblings nodded, and Sokka tried not to let the knot of worry for his father close up his throat. 

Katara did not have to speak for Sokka to begin running lock-step with her toward their target. They moved in sync. Sokka kicked the door to the battlement open with a resounding smash. Katara shot ice up and over the soldier controlling the lower portion of the weapon, and Boomerang took out the soldier on the upper deck before they could even turn and fight the Water Tribe siblings. They ran out of the battlement as quickly as they entered. The knot Sokka felt earlier nearly choked him when he watched his father jump into the opposite battlement, followed closely by a blast of fire.

“Dad!” Katara yelled out. Sokka was only a step behind her as they tried to get to the other battlement. Hakoda stumbled out of the lower door and collapsed onto his front, but a small battalion of Fire Nation soldiers appeared from the lower path between the siblings and their father. Sokka knew he and Katara could take them, but they needed to get to their father and get him to some semblance of safety as fast as possible. Sokka looked toward Katara, and as if communicating telepathically, she nodded with understanding. 

With a flash, Katara sent a large mass of water up and over the Fire Nation soldiers. The aim distracted them briefly, all but their leader looking up at the mass. At the same time, Sokka shot out a wave of white-blue fire that instantly sent the water into a cloud of steam that settled down around the soldiers. He and Katara immediately ran toward the outermost side of the group, managing to pass in the confusion. Sokka dimly heard an older male voice say something about retreating to another line of defense. He gritted his teeth as the bittersweet pride rushed through him alongside the icy terror of his worry.

Katara got up underneath Hakoda, and Sokka helped her get their father to Appa. As they rode down toward the line held by the invasion force, the watertribeswoman peeled back her father’s burnt shirt to reveal a grizzly burn, but fortunately nothing that looked immediately life-threatening. He must have passed out from the shock of it. She immediately took to healing the would. Hakoda would have to be able to walk at least.

The older man blinked open his eyes soon after Katara started her ministrations. He looked over toward Sokka. 

“You sister will be preoccupied with me for a while, I’m afraid. We don’t have time to waste. You need to go ahead and lead our warriors.”

“But-“

“I believe in you, son,” Hakoda smiled through his gritted teeth. Katara spared the smallest kind glance at her brother before focusing back in on the healing. Sokka set his jaw with determination, launching into action and commanding the troops. The eclipse was on the horizon, and they were winning. 

Aang found them in the midst of the battle and explained the apparent ruse. Sokka worried of a trap, but Hakoda’s encouragement set his mind back on the main task. They needed to find the Firelord before the eclipse ended. Aang had to face him. If they could do that, who cares about any traps? The war would be won. They could win today.

That’s how he found himself in the middle of an underground bunker as the eclipse ticked across the sky. Sokka checked the timepiece and winced. They had to make it. 

He also felt the strange emptiness inside of him. Where that warmth would normally be was nothing but his stomach. It filled him with a strange helplessness, and he wondered how benders who weren’t trained in other forms of fighting would ever be able to handle it. He gripped his sword tighter and followed Aang and Toph down the corridors. 

The group soon came upon a large set of regal doors. Toph made short work of them. Inside the room, lit by torches high on the walls, was a tall throne, but not nearly as elaborate an arrangement as what Sokka would imagine for the Firelord. He guessed it made sense, considering it was not the Firelord sprawled across the throne’s harsh outline like a house cat. 

“Oh my, the avatar. And my dear brother’s soulmate. And a little blind girl. They really do send the best don’t they,” Azula said with a smirk. Her voice dripped like molasses, all resistance and stick and none of the sweetness. 

“Where is the Firelord?” Sokka yelled out. He fought the urge to check the timepiece again. They did not have time to waste here. 

“And don’t lie to us! I can tell!” Toph called out. Azula smirked.

“Oh, really? I am a four hundred foot tall purple platypus bear with pink horns and silver wings,” the princess delivered the lines in a dead monotone.

“Alright, she’s good; I admit it.”

“We don’t have time for this!” Aang yelled as he sent a wave of air hurtling toward Azula. Nothing that would have significantly harmed her. It did not matter though. A thick wall of earth emerged from the ground and blocked any incoming attack. 

“Oh, I should have told you. When I came back from Ba Sing Se, I brought some souvenirs. Dai Li agents!” 

Said agents dropped from the ceiling, and the group was preoccupied with them while Azula began to lead them on a chase. Toph managed to restrain one with her metal bending, the other was dispatched quickly by Aang and Sokka. The trio ran after the princess before Sokka stopped in his tracks. A thought dawned on him.

“Wait, she’s just playing with us! She’s not even trying to win this fight” 

“Not true, I’m giving it my all,” Azula sighed.

“She’s trying to waste time until the eclipse ends!” Toph decalred. 

“I think your friend just said that, genius. Oh, and since you can’t tell, I’m rolling my eyes.”

“I’ll roll your whole head!”

Sokka put his hand on the younger girl’s shoulder, “She’s just trying to bait you again.”

“What are we supposed to do?” Aang asked. Sokka heard the tinge of panic in his voice.

“Oh, ho… don’t lose up hope now, avatar. So many people are counting on you. You and your soulbender friend here. There’s this one prisoner I talked to that really seems to believe you are going to come and save her, poor thing,” Azula’s eyes flashed, and Sokka saw red.

“Where’s Suki?” He lunged at the princess, pinning her to the wall. She smirked at him, but even though Sokka knew she was winning, he could not control himself. Suki was one of his dearest friends, and he would not let the Fire Nation take her away from him, too.

“Sokka, we have to go! We have to find the Firelord before the eclipse ends!”

Azula continued to smirk. Sokka knew deep down the day was already lost. There would not be time. He did not need to check the timer. The Fire Nation had won. Just a moment later, Sokka felt a flare in his gut, and he had just enough time to realize what it meant and deflect a kick of fire sent up towards his abdomen as Azula broke free. 

“I’m sure my father would love to see you now,” Azula laughed. The group took their stances and watched her with wary eyes. Sokka did not think she would risk taking on three other benders, one of them the avatar, by herself in this small corridor, but he did not want to underestimate her. 

She moved to run away down the corridor, and Sokka could have screamed. He felt Aang drop his guard slightly, despite everything. Toph seemed ready, but with firebending she was not always be best at defense. Sokka saw time slow down as Azula kicked the ground in front of her and pivoted a full half circle, swirling her arms in a flurry of lightning around her. 

Sokka moved before he fully understood what he was doing. Aang’s traumatized look was enough to tell him the young boy would not be able to defend himself, and the lightning moved too quick for Toph to sense in time. It was a desperate action that he was sure would get him killed.

Suddenly, he was not standing in the tight underground tunnel. He was in a larger room, blood-red Fire Nation banners hung on the walls and a man more terrifying than anyone Sokka had ever seen before towering over him. The smell of jasmine nearly made him gag; it was so strong. He felt a foreign terror rip through his chest as the man, the  _ Firelord _ , hurled lightning at him. 

When Sokka moved, it was not of his own accord. He took the full blast of lightning, drawing the current of it into his core and just as quickly pushing the energy back out again, before it burned him out. His arms shot the white-hot streaks back without Sokka telling them to. The watertribesman blinked, and he was back in the tunnel. 

Azula looked absolutely frazzled. She had plastered herself to one wall of the corridor to avoid the lightning, but her clothes were singed. Sokka smelled the pungent scent of burning hair. She looked livid, about ready to attack again. Everything about Sokka, himself, told him to run. But his body was not his in that moment. He stood tall and gazed at Azula with a look that did not belong on his face.

The princess’s rage fell off her face. It was replaced by shock and… and was that a hint of uncertainty? Even… fear? The word she whispered before taking off at a sprint sounded more like a question than anything else, and it sent Sokka reeling.

“Zuko?” 

It was Toph’s firm hand on his elbow that grounded Sokka enough to come back to himself and move. The young man took off and followed his friends as they made their way back to the rest of the invasion force. Sokka did his best to divert the attacks of as many firebenders as he could, but there was no way the group could make it back to the submarines before those airships destroyed them.

Sokka hated that he was still so out of it as he said his goodbyes to his dad, to Bato, to everyone they could not take with him. He helped Teo get onto Appa’s back in silence as everyone else continued frantically saying what might be their final words to each other. He could not shake the feeling that something in the universe had shifted entirely. It was not that everything was now at an angle. It was like everything had been at an angle the whole time, and for the first time ever, Sokka was seeing it after it had straightened out. 

As Appa flew in the direction of the Western Air Temple, that feeling did not subside. The foreign presence in his body grew less and less uncomfortable and more comforting. Like he was coming together somehow. 

The strange sensation continued to build in him as they landed. As Aang showed them good places to sleep and they set up camp. Sokka had this restless energy that was definitely starting to set everyone on edge. He was going absolutely crazy until something even crazier than he had ever imagined happened.

“Hello, Zuko here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There comes a time when you set out to primarily cover the action of an Avatar episode only to realize you spent more than 3000 words on the prelude before they even get there, lol


	14. The Western Air Temple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place during "The Western Air Temple"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter I owe you 3/4

Sokka’s voice caught in his throat, but Katara spoke up.

“What are you doing here?” she accused. Zuko had the gall to look  _ sheepish _ . 

“Look, I’ve made many mistakes. I’ve done some awful things, but I’ve changed. I’m good now. Trying to be. And I want to ask you to let me into your group. I can teach the avatar firebending. I can teach,” he faltered, “I can teach whoever needs it.”

“What makes you think we could ever trust you?” Katara spat. 

“Appa seems to like him,” Toph chimed in. Aang seemed to soften slightly, but he kept his staff raised in Zuko’s general direction. Sokka spoke before he had time to really think about his words.

“He’s not lying.”

Katara shot her brother a look that would have normally sent the young man sinking into the floor, but he was not paying attention to her. His eyes were focused on the other soulbender. He was doing absolutely anything but looking at Sokka. 

“You don’t get a say in this, Sokka,” the watertribeswoman hissed. That snapped Sokka out of his daze.

“Wait, what?” he fully pivoted to face his sister. “What do you mean I don’t get a say?”

“You just started getting better. I am not letting this jerk mess you up again!”

Sokka was about to argue, but Aang cut in.

“Katara, I get it. I don’t really want to trust Zuko either, but if any of us had more say than anyone else, it is Sokka. It’s his soulmate.”

“Exactly! That’s why we can’t let him decide; he’ll just get hurt again!”

“I don’t know if you have forgotten, but I am standing right here! And definitely don’t appreciate my little sister implying that I cannot be trusted to make my own decisions,” an edge made its way into Sokka’s voice. Zuko was forgotten as he stared at Katara. 

“Uh… Why don’t I leave for now… let you have some space,” Zuko tried. 

“That’d be a good idea,” Sokka shot out. His tone was more tense than he meant for it to be. Zuko did not seem phased.

“I’m camping up on the cliff above, just a little way into the forest. I… I have no right to ask for this, but I have to,” he finally met Sokka’s eyes. “I would like the chance to talk to you. Just you, if that’s okay. To apologize and… yeah. If you don’t want to, I understand. Just find me if you decide to.”

Sokka watched his soulmate turn and awkwardly shuffle his way away from the group. Katara kept her eyes trained on the firebender until he disappeared from view before she reeled to face Sokka.

“I’m sure he’s going to go tell his crazy sister where we are as we speak!”

“Katara, I told you, he was not lying! I can tell!”

“I don’t think he was lying either, if anyone cares about my opinion,” Toph snarked. Both siblings gave her a  _ look _ that she did not have to see to feel. She waved her hand dismissively and started to walk away. She stopped for a moment, “Hey, all I’m saying is that the only time I’ve interacted with the dude, he’s been fine. A bit mopey but fine. Plus his uncle is pretty cool. Just saying.”

Aang gave the girl a pat on the shoulder as she passed him, but he stayed next to Katara. Sokka saw the worry in his features, and he was definitely directing that concern more at Katara than at Sokka. He tried not to let it get to him.

“I don’t care if you can tell whether he is lying or not. He has clearly proven that even when he’s not lying he can still hurt you. Hurt us. He may have betrayed you Sokka, but that betrayal didn’t just almost take you away from me. It… It almost  _ killed _ Aang, Sokka. He almost died! Not to mention all the other times Zuko tried to kill us!”

“Katara, I know he has been awful. Believe me. I know. I almost lost Aang, too. Believe it or not, I care about all of you just as much as you do. I’m not saying that we have to completely forgive him. I’m not saying that he’d be anything more than a firebending master to any of us. I just know that he’s not lying, and that he deserves a chance to really redeem himself. And we really need that firebending master. How else is Aang going to learn?”

“And you? You want to train with him?” Katara sounded accusatory.

“Yes! And why is that bad? You are fine with me being a firebender. Is that just because of who Zuko is? You don’t want me learning from him? Or is it because of what he is in  _ relation _ to be, huh? Is that it? You don’t trust me to be around my soulmate?”

“I just don’t want you hurt again!” 

“It’s my decision! You don’t get to tell me what is best for me!”

“I have to, if you won’t do it for yourself!”

“Katara…” Aang cautiously touched her arm. She was seething. The airbender shot a glance up to Sokka and flinched as he saw the stony expression on his face. The expression got inexplicably darker, then settled into something so painful neutral Aang almost gasped. Even Katara faltered.

“You know what, sis? I’m done. I keep having to deal with all this destiny business. All these expectations. And I decided to just trust in it. Trust in myself. I’ve had to scrap enough self-esteem out of the bottom of the barrel just to keep waking up in the morning. And I’m finally in a place where I’m okay with myself. So I am not going to bother spending any more time on people that don’t believe in me like I do. That don’t trust in me like I trust in myself. Even if that person is you, Katara. I am going to go talk to Zuko now. I won’t tell him to come down here until everyone agrees, even you, but you cannot stop me from going to see him. Until you decide that you trust me again, we’re done.”

Sokka pivoted and walked off in the direction Zuko traveled earlier. He heard something that sounded like Aang saying “let him go,” but he did not stop to hear anything else. He was so angry that Katara of all people was trying to control his life. That she did not trust him to make his own decisions. He was so mad he barely registered as he crested the top of the cliff, breathing harshly from the steep and winding climb. He had been so focused on Katara that he completely forgot that he had another whole can of worms waiting for him at his destination.

What would he even say to Zuko? How did he even feel about him? He thought he loved him, but seeing him again brought up all that pain from Ba Sing Se again. Did they even know each other enough to have feelings like that? His mind flashed to Yue. Okay,  _ should _ he even have feelings like that? How much did he want from Zuko? 

Sokka was not sure he could even begin to imagine anything… anything more than friendship with Zuko at the moment. And friendship was stretching it. He may have advocated for him with Katara, but his trust was still broken and would need time to mend. He guessed he would just hear Zuko out and see where he landed.

“Hey!” Sokka called out as he wandered into the woods. The sun was still up but hanging low in the sky. It would be dark soon, and he really did not want to get roasted if he accidentally surprised the other firebender. A few moments later, he spotted a tent strung up between some trees in a small clearing. The prince sat with his back against a log, his eyes trained on a small fire in front of him.

“Hey… I’m here to talk to you. Like you asked,” Sokka winced at his awkwardness. He stayed at the edge of the clearing, just kind of hovering, waiting for some sort of signal of what he should do.

“I… Thank you for coming. Would you like to come sit down? Or should I stand? I’ll stand, that was stupid, I-”

“No, you’re fine. I’ll come over there,” Sokka stopped the rambling of the other man and walked toward the log. He did not go all the way to sit next to Zuko. He stopped on the other side of the fire and plopped down cross-legged. Zuko looked up at him, and Sokka was nearly gutted by the earnest look in his eyes.

“Sokka… I am so sorry. So unbelievably sorry. For what I did to you in Ba Sing Se. I was so wrong. I thought the only way I could restore my honor was to get it from my father, but I had to learn that I get honor for myself by doing what’s right. And what’s right now is to apologize to you. So… yeah. I’m doing that. I am sorry,” the prince’s eyes fell to his lap. He fingers tangled together, going nearly white with the pressure. He tensed like he expected some sort of retaliation.

“I appreciate your apology. I can tell you mean it,” Sokka said at first. It was true. But… “I don’t really think I’m ready to completely forgive you, not yet. But I’m willing to try. If you are really going to try to be better.”

Zuko looked up with so much hope in his eyes, “Really? You don’t owe me your forgiveness. I completely understand if you don’t ever do that. But I do want to be better. I have changed. I know it is my destiny to train the avatar to defeat my father. I have never felt more sure of anything in my life.”

Sokka sighed at the mention of destiny, but he nodded. Zuko continued.

“I should also apologize for earlier. I am sorry that I caused you and your sister to fight.”

Sokka scoffed, “It’s not your fault. I think that’s been building for a while. I thought we were in a better place right before the-” he winced, “before. But she always worried that the whole soulmate thing clouded my judgement. She wasn’t super obvious about it, but I know she worried.”

“Does it?”

Sokka gave Zuko a confused look, “Does what?”

“Does…” he shifted uncomfortably. “Does the… you know… does it affect your judgement?” Sokka got the feeling Zuko was asking about something far more complicated, but he could not quite figure out what. 

“I mean, does it for you? I imagine it's the same. I feel a… it's like an influence. But I can fight it. It sucks to do it, but I can.”

“Is that why you came to talk to me?” Zuko looked so painfully insecure. Sokka did not know how to comfort him.

“I mean, I can’t say no? But I know I wanted to. I decided to after I finished talking to Katara. I knew I needed to hear you out and make my own decision. So I came. Whether there was some influence in there, I don’t really care anymore. I’m just going to be me and trust myself.”

“That’s… that’s very brave of you.” That response sent Sokka reeling. “I haven’t ever been good about trust. I’ve always either had it broken or been the one to break it. It’s another thing I am having to work on.”

“It’s a journey.”

“Yeah.”

Silence crept in like an unwanted third wheel. The sun must have finally dipped below the horizon because the forest got much darker quickly. The two men sat in that uncomfortable silence until finally Zuko broke it.

“Does… Does the avatar want me to train him?”

“I think Aang would be willing, but he would never agree to it without Katara’s blessing. I don’t know when, if ever, she would give it. She hates your guts.”

“I deserve it.”

“Well… I mean… yeah… But everyone deserves a chance at redemption.”

“Do I deserve a third chance?” Zuko’s expression was unreadable as he stared into Sokka’s shared soul.

“I said I was going to try to forgive you, okay? So yeah. Also, I’m not entirely sure we’ll count Ba Sing Se. You weren’t ready for that kind of decision. For… everything that came with it,” Sokka narrowly avoided slapping himself in the face. He desperately tried to think about anything else but that prison cell. The way they held each other’s hands. Breathed the same air. Leaned in…

“I’ll try to deserve your grace, Sokka. I am not sure I do yet. But if you will try, I will certainly try.”

“That’s… that’s good. Well, um… I should be getting back. I’ll talk to Katara in the morning, when we’ve had time to cool off. Hopefully Aang has been working on her. I’ll come see you tomorrow to give you an update.”

“Thank you, Sokka,” Zuko actually smiled up at him, the same small smile that Sokka remembered from not that long ago. It made his brain crash to a halt. He had to shake his slightly to clear it, and he smiled back at Zuko in a similarly small smile. This… This was not as easy as before. In Ba Sing Se, they just kind of… fit. Now, there was definitely a greater distance, but Sokka could imagine crossing that gap. Someday. 

As he walked away, he could not get that smile out of his head, and he realized that “someday” might be too soon for comfort. He struggled to care. 

The evening was an awkward affair to rival even Zuko as Sokka and Katara diligently avoided each other. Aang tried to play peacemaker the best he could, and Toph ignored the whole situation in favor of challenging Haru to an arm wrestling match. Just to get away from the tense atmosphere, Sokka tucked himself into his bedroll early and tried to hurry the morning along.

The first rays filtered over the cliff later in the morning, but Sokka woke up long before. He felt the pull of the sun as soon as it crested the horizon, even if he could not see it. Everyone else slept, so he went to sit on the edge of the cliff and watch the sun rise the rest of the way over the canyon. After what was probably nearly an hour, Sokka felt more than saw someone sit next to him. He knew who it was, though.

“I’m sorry,” Katara’s voice was soft in the early morning air. The rest of the group was still sleeping, but Katara had always been an early riser. It was only once he awakened his bending that Sokka started to beat her when it came to getting up early.

“I’m sorry, too. I was harsh with you.”

“I was, too. I don’t mean this as an excuse. I just really care about you. And after Ba Sing Se you were in such a bad place. Almost as bad as after Yue. And… I guess all that concern made me trust my anger at Zuko more than you. I am really sorry.”

Sokka turned to Katara and saw that her eyes were moist. His expression softened, and he reached out to take her hand.

“Hey, I get it. I don’t know how I’d react if it was you in my place. I’d probably drown Zuko on dry land. I just need you to swallow that down. Just for a while. We really need a firebending master for Aang.”

“And is that all?” Katara looked up at him. She did not look like she was accusing him this time. 

“I don’t know. I’m not ready to forgive him for betraying me, but… I don’t know how to make you understand. I feel better now that he’s around. I slept better last night than I have in… I don’t even know. I feel more complete.”

“He is supposed to be your other half. Literally,” the concern creeped back into her voice, but Sokka chose to ignore it. 

“I don’t plan to go proposing the moment she shows back up, Katara. I just… I need you to be okay with my decisions, whatever they end up being. I need you to trust me.”

Katara met his eyes. Her expression hardened, “I trust you.”

Sokka did not need to share a soul with her to know she was telling the truth. Yeah, Katara can get wrapped up in her anger, but when it really counts, she was always there for Sokka. He believed her. He trusted her.

“So if Zuko showed up tonight and joined the group, you’d be okay with it?”

“I didn’t say that…” she winced. 

“Work in progress,” Sokka chuckled. Katara shook her head and gave him a humoring expression. A loud protest behind them made the siblings turn. Toph was kicking each bedroll asking for someone to make breakfast. Katara got up to make sure The Duke did not stab her in the ankles. 

The calm chaos of Team Avatar’s morning routine was disrupted by a huge explosion. 

“Combustion Man!” Sokka yelled as everyone dove for cover. Another blast tore through a nearby pillar. Another blast. Another. The watertribesman risked a glance out from his cover and watched with mortification as Zuko tried to intervene. He must have run when he heard the first blast. 

Sokka realized too late that the assassin was taking deadly aim at the very pillar he and his friends were sheltered behind. There was no way to deflect his beam, and there was no time to move. Katara looked over his shoulder and must have realized the same thing, as she grabbed Sokka’s hand impossibly tight.

Zuko lunged and threw off the other firebender’s aim. The beam went wide, but Sokka watched in horror as the enemy flung Zuko away like he weighed nothing at all. Without thinking, he pulled Boomerang from his back. He placed a small kiss to the engraving.

“Don’t fail me now, buddy!” He said as more of a prayer than anything else. He let the boomerang fly and watched its arch across the temple. Just as Combustion Man was about to blast them to smithereens, the curved metal made contact with his head. Perfect hit. Sokka cheered as he jumped to catch Boomerang out of the air. 

The celebration died in his throat as he saw the assassin recover, but he did look winded. Sokka motioned for everyone to take the opportunity to run, but he turned back in time to see the firebender take in his breath. But, instead of producing a beam, he  _ exploded _ .

Aang whooped in triumph, but Katara must have seen what Sokka saw. The blast sent Zuko hurtling over the side of the cliff. 

“Zuko!” Sokka screamed. It ripped through his lungs and throat like a wild animal. He collapsed onto his knees. His head fell into his hands, and pain welled up in his chest. He did not cry. This was too painful for even that. 

“Sokka, look!” Katara called. She nearly sprained his neck by pulling back on his wolf tail to force him to look up. Happiness welled up inside of him as he saw his soulmate climbing up some dangling roots to the safety of the cliff side. Zuko started walking toward the group, slowly and carefully on the crumbling ground that once held the assassin. 

“Wow, I never thought I’d say this, but thanks, Zuko,” Aang said as Zuko approached. Sokka was still speechless, and he wilted with embarrassment when he saw how Zuko was clutching at his chest. He must have felt it. 

Katara glanced between Sokka and Zuko, then finally over at Aang. She had narrowed, suspicious eyes, but she sighed. Sokka knew she was giving in.

“I still don’t trust you. But thanks. Sokka can show you where you will stay. Go get your stuff.”

“I can really stay? Become a part of your group?” He had a hopeful, polar bear-dog puppy look. 

“No, you aren’t a part of our group. You will teach Aang and Sokka firebending and be tolerated by me on a probationary basis. If you make one wrong move, I will personally see to it that your destiny ends. I may not be able to kill you, but there are other ways to trap you in a living nightmare.”

“Katara…” Sokka finally managed.

“He can stay. That’s all you’re getting out of me,” she shot a softer look at Sokka. He decided now was not the time to look the gift ostrich-horse in the mouth. 

“Okay… um… I just have a bag. I left it at my campsite. I’ll be right back,” Zuko muttered awkwardly as he started backing away from Katara’s glare. 

“I’ll walk with you,” Sokka said without thinking. He really did not want to let the prince out of his sight right now, and honestly, he did not want to risk it with staying with Katara at the moment. They were in a very tentative peace. He considered the fact that she did not say anything as he followed Zuko to be a victory. 

“You really don’t have to accompany me. I’ll just be a few minutes,” Zuko spoke quietly. He looked down at his feet as he walked. 

“It’s fine. I… I just saw you almost die. I don’t really want you out of my sight.”

“Yeah, that… I shouldn’t have risked my life like that. I put you in so much danger.”

“What?” Sokka asked. That did not quite make sense. Zuko flashed a quick look in the other soulbender’s direction.

“I felt it. When I went over the edge. You were so scared you were going to die. It nearly choked me. I’ve never been very careful with my life, but I can’t forget that it’s not just me anymore.”

“Zuko,” Sokka stopped him with a hand on his arm. He dropped the hand quickly, but he winced when he realized that was probably more awkward than just letting it linger. He was thinking too much. “Zuko, I wasn’t scared that I was going to die. That didn’t even cross my mind until just now. I was scared  _ you _ were going to die.”

“Why?’ Sokka’s heart almost broke at how sincere the question was.

“I… Look, I may not be quite ready to forgive you for Ba Sing Se, but I still care about you. I can’t really control it. And… ugh Zuko! You may have messed up, but I still care. A lot. About you. I don’t even really know you. But… yeah. That’s never really stopped me before,” Sokka kicked at the dirt as he said it. A blush painted itself across his face. He hoped the flush from the heat and the climb would cover it.

“Oh,” Zuko croaked.  _ Oh _ . That’s all he has to say? Sokka almost protested when Zuko continued after much hesitation. “Turtleducks. My favorite animal. Yours?”

“Uh…”

“To… to get to know each other. My favorite animal is a turtleduck. What is yours?” Zuko cringed as he asked. Sokka huffed a small laugh. 

“Um… Okay, don’t tell Appa but… I actually really like air bison. Well, that air bison in particular, but I think I’d like all air bison more than any other animal. I like how smart they are, and loyal. Plus they are big enough to ride and they  _ fly  _ so yeah they’re pretty cool,” Sokka volunteered as he started walking again. “Why do you like turtleducks?”

“Oh, uh, my mom. She used to take me to this pond we have in the palace garden. She made my dad bring in a hole bunch of turtleduck eggs, and we took care of them in a little nest that I kept warm by using my bending to heat this stone underneath it several times a day. When the turtleducklings hatched, they would follow my mother around the garden all day. When they got big enough that they didn’t need a mother duck anymore, we would still go out there most afternoons and through them bread and other scraps from our meals. They are very fat turtleducks. But very… cute. I like how fluffy they are. And friendly. After my mother… after she wasn’t around anymore, I still took care of them. When I was back at the palace, I found out one of the kitchen maids had taken to feeding them. I had worried that they would have been left to fend for themselves while I was gone. I don’t miss most of the palace, but I miss that pond.”

Sokka listened intently, but he only hummed softly as Zuko finished. They fell into a comfortable silence as they entered Zuko’s camp. Sokka helped him fold up the tarp he used as a tent and after just a moment they were making their way back to the Western Air Temple. The prince just had a simple bag slung over his shoulder next to his dao sword sheath. There could not have been more than a change of clothes and maybe a few other smaller things. 

“Do… Do you want to ask a question?” Zuko asked. They were just starting to make their way down the cliff side again. Sokka marveled at how much the other man was driving conversation, but he did not complain. The silence was fine, but getting to know each other was proving to be better. 

“Um… oh! What is your favorite food?”

“Honestly, I’m not that picky. I can normally go for anything with meat in it, but there is this place just outside the palace in Caldera that makes great spicy noodles.”

Sokka tried to contain his heart eyes, “I love meat! Especially jerky! I’m kinda known as the meat and sarcasm guy around here.”

“Meat and sarcasm?”

“It’s an inside joke. It’ll be funnier when you’ve been around longer.”

“Yeah,” and the way he said it had Sokka looking over at him. Zuko had this wistful look on his face. He looked shy and happy and man Sokka was so whipped. 

“What’s with that look on your face?” Sokka asked. He was going for joking, but it came out more sincere. Zuko looked at him for just a second before looking back at the ground.

“I just like the idea of being here longer. With you. All of you, I mean. I am finally going to be making my own destiny. Doing good. Being better. It makes me happier than I’ve been in a long time. It’s not easy, knowing I’m going to have to fight my father and my sister, but it feels nice to know that I’m finally living my own life. Living in a way that would make my uncle proud.”

“I am sure he is proud of you, Zuko.”

“Thank you, Sokka.”

The walk through the temple was surprisingly slightly less awkward than Sokka expected. Everyone seemed to be giving Zuko a bit of a wide berth, but no one was openly scowling at him or threatening his life, so that was a plus. Toph actually shouted a “hi sparky” from across the open courtyard. Zuko blushed.

“Well, this is your room. I’m next door. Most everyone else sleeps out in the courtyard, but I wake up early and struggle to be quiet about it. I figured you’d be the same. With the waking up early, I mean. Firebending and all,” Sokka fumbled over his words.

“You’re right. Firebenders rise with the sun. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you’re the same way.”

“Well… yep. I’m a firebender. Must not be a genetics thing if that is a part of it, huh?”

“What are ‘genetics?’”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. Just a theory I’ve been cooking up. Anyway, lunch will be soon. Do you want to come out and join everyone, or do you want me to bring you some food?”

“Uh… I wasn’t able to do my meditations this morning. I should probably make sure I do that first.”

“Wait, that might make for a good first firebending lesson! Why don’t I get Aang and we’ll meditate together?”

“I don’t want to keep you from your lunch.”

“If the three of us are missing, Katara will make sure to save us some. We can eat after. Then maybe we can go over some cool forms! I only know the punchy one.”

“I know you know it’s called the Dragon’s Lunge.”

“Yeah, but that name isn’t as fun as saying ‘fire-punching.’”

Zuko chuckled, and Sokka left him to run get Aang. The airbender seemed upset to have to delay lunch, but the prospect of actually learning firebending proved too attractive to pass up. They did not end up doing any forms that afternoon. Zuko seemed to be having a tough time, and he chucked it up to the stress of the day and not feeling very well. Sokka did not think much of it. They agreed to get right back to practice in the morning.

That night, Sokka laid in his bedroll on the slab of an Air Nomad bed. He could not sleep, and even when he did, he jerked awake. A nightmare played over and over again, haunting the darkness of the night.

_ “Come with us! Come with  _ me _!” _

_ “Sokka, I’m sorry. This is everything I have ever wanted.” _

Sokka gasped. The fact that the subject of his nightmares was sleeping peacefully just a room away did nothing to soothe his racing, aching heart. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You think the slow burn is over yet?!? You would be WRONG. lol. Also, making Sokka the origin for highly advanced scientific concepts in the Avatar world (even if it makes no sense) is my newfound obsession do @ me with ideas haha.


	15. The Firebending Masters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place during "The Firebending Masters"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter I owe you 4/4. (Also, I had no plans to make THIS chapter of all chapters one of the longest of the fic, but sometimes these things just happen.)

Sokka groaned as he rolled out of bed. He had not had a night of nightmares that bad in a while, and he was definitely feeling resentment toward the sun in general for forcing him out of his drowsy cocoon and off toward firebending practice. 

Zuko already stood at the center of the large training courtyard not far from the main camp. The ground was open and flat, rock smoothed from centuries of feet sliding over it in bending forms. The roof of the cliff side hung overhead, supported by long pillars closer to the edge. All in all, there was little nearby that could potentially catch fire, other than the firebenders themselves. Sokka was grateful. He may have more control over his firebending now, but he certainly was not confident if he was going to be learning anything new.

“Morning, Sokka,” Zuko turned to him. He did not have a smile, which initially made the watertribesman worry. A second later Zuko looked over Sokka’s shoulder and said, “Morning, Aang.” Sokka tried not to blush at the thought that maybe Zuko’s smiles were a just-between-them thing.

“Flameo, Hotman! Let’s learn some firebending!” Aang’s comments earned him a very confused look from their firebending master, but Zuko did not say anything in reply. He just sat cross-legged on the ground and started leading them through a morning meditation. 

“It is important to center your chi before you plan to firebend for an extended time. I know you can’t always control the situation, but when you can, meditation is key.”

“I hear a lot of talk about chi with firebenders. What’s up with that?” Sokka asked. Zuko sighed and looked over at him.

“The chi is where our firebending comes from. It is channeled through our bodies and out our limbs to create fire.”

“Oh, yeah, that makes sense. I just hadn’t really put two-and-two together. It works with things besides arms and legs, too, right?”

“Not many firebenders have that kind of talent. It is very rare, actually. Just like blue fire. The only people I have known to use it are Azula and you. You are the only person I know that’s been able to use tools in firebending.”

“You mean Sokka can do something with firebending that even you don’t know how to do?” Aang asked innocently. Zuko did not look offended.

“Honestly, I never really tried to learn how to do that sort of thing. It is a rare talent, but there’s also the fact that I was raised with the idea that your bending had to be as powerful as possible. That you had to overwhelm your enemies with brute force. From what I’ve seen of your abilities, Sokka, you use your additional weapons more defensively, or as more of a utility. That sort of style would be seen as weakness.”

Sokka thought about that, and it made sense. It finally explained why so many firebenders avoided doing anything but shooting giant bouts of flame at them.

“I have come to understand that bending out of that kind of lust for power, that anger and hatred, it doesn’t lead to good things. Ever. It might make you more of a formidable opponent, but it also makes you chaotic and a danger to everyone around you. I do not want to risk my bending harming anyone I don’t mean to. That is why I have had to start relearning from the beginning.”

“I do think you were destined to be my firebending teacher. What you’re saying is exactly like when I tried to firebend for the first time. I accidentally burned Katara,” Aang shot Sokka an apologetic look. It was in the past, but he still felt bad about it.

“I’ve managed to avoid something like that, but more out of a fear of bending than anything else. I’ve gotten better at it, but that’s why I like to use Boomerang or the Kyoshi fan or whatever else. It makes me feel a little bit more in control,” Sokka processed this as he said it, and he realized just how true it was. He had thrown a few fire-punches leading up to Ba Sing Se, but the only time he ever went all-out firebending in the more Fire Nation way was when he was facing off against Zuko. “The only time I actually used firebending in the way you are talking about is when we… you know… back at Ba Sing Se.” Sokka cringed as he spoke.

Zuko seemed similarly uncomfortable, but he pushed past it, “I could tell. You were very angry.”

“Yeah.”

Aang looked between the two firebenders and no doubt felt like he was drowning in the awkward energy. He tried to break the tension.

“Well, now we can learn together! How to not bend from anger. Do you feel centered? I feel centered. Let’s do some firebending!”

The young boy popped up and started running around, kicking and punching the air. He was not trying to bend, but Sokka could tell a lot of his moves were copies of what they had seen in countless skirmishes with other firebenders. Zuko rolled his eyes and mumbled something about not actually meditating, but he got up and started to stretch anyway. Sokka joined him, and the uncomfortable atmosphere faded somewhat as they all began to get into the right headspace to train. 

“So you know the Dragon’s Lunge,” Zuko made to perform the move, but all that came from his hand was a small spurt of flame. He tried again. Barely a wisp. He kicked, and nothing came at all. Sokka grew more and more concerned as Zuko slowly stopped moving at all and looked at his hands.

“I can’t firebend,” he gasped. “For so long, I only used anger to fuel my fire. Now… I don’t really know what to use.”

“I didn’t use anger to bend before. Sokka normally doesn’t. Maybe… maybe you just need to give it some time?” Aang tried to offer. Zuko shook his head.

“It was this way yesterday, too. I haven’t been able to bend properly since facing my father.”

“Wait you faced your  _ dad _ !” Sokka exclaimed. “And you  _ lived _ ?” 

Zuko flushed slightly. Aang seemed equally amazed.

“Uh, yeah. During the eclipse. That’s when I left. But I stopped and confronted him about how he treated me, about what he has done to the world.”

“And he just stood there and took it?” Sokka still could not wrap his head around it.

“Well, until the eclipse ended. Then he tried to kill me with lightning. But my uncle taught me how to redirect it, so I shot it back at him. He was fine, obviously, but it gave me a chance to escape. I haven’t been able to really bend since.”

“Wait… you redirected lightning?” Aang spoke up this time. Realization dawned on his face, and Sokka felt his heart hit the floor and flop there weakly.

“Yeah?”

“Did… did you feel anything weird when you did it?” Sokka asked. He tried not to sound like someone was strangling him.

“I- uh- well… kinda. It felt like my body was moving through water. Like my arms weighed twice as much as they usually do. My vision got all dark and blurry and I thought I was… I don’t know- in a tunnel or something? I thought it was just the fact that I had never redirected lightning before, and I was dying a little.”

“Dying a little?” Aang exclaimed as Sokka mumbled “same here, buddy.”

Zuko looked between the two with a confused expression but ultimately decided to address Sokka.

“What do you mean?”

“It must have been at the exact same time… Your sister tried to kill us in the tunnels. She shot lightning at me. I didn’t know what to do, so I just jumped in front of it. My body moved on its own. I had no idea what was happening, but I sent it back at her. She looked at me after. Called me ‘Zuko’ before running off,” Sokka explained. He sounded just as amazed as Zuko looked at the information. Aang cut in.

“That is so cool! That must have triggered some part of your soulmate connection!”

Sokka dropped his eyes down to his feet as Aang explained. He was thinking the same thing as he described his experience. He remembered the glowing eyes of Oma and Shu from his vision, how they moved as though they were two bodies with one mind. It was honestly kind of terrifying to know that kind of thing happened without Zuko or Sokka meaning for it to. Sure it saved his life, but it was also super concerning.

“Yeah… I guess I am glad I was able to help you. Even though I didn’t know. But if I don’t get my firebending back, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to really help you again. You’ll need a new firebending master.”

“So… we just have to get that fire burning again!” Sokka tried. He pushed through the tension and decided to focus his attention on the problem at hand.

“You should try going to the original source of firebending,” Toph’s voice came out of nowhere. Sokka nearly jumped out of his skin when he pivoted to face the small girl.

“Where did you come from?” Sokka definitely did  _ not _ squeak out.

“Behind you. Quietly. For the drama. Anyway, when I was little, I ran away from my parents and his in the nearby caves. The badgermoles found me. They were the original earthbenders, and they were blind like me! They showed me how to use earthbending to be aware of my environment, and they taught me all of the important lessons of earthbending. From what I understand, the first firebenders were the dragons.”

“Yeah,  _ were  _ the dragons. Dragons are all extinct.”

“What?” Aang sent a shocked look in Zuko's direction.

“Sozin created a tradition of hunting the dragons for sport and glory. My uncle faced the last dragon and killed it many years ago, after my cousin died. My father had only been the firelord for a few years at that point, and I was just a toddler. I don’t even remember dragons. Yet another thing this world has my family to thank for,” Zuko grumbled.

“That’s awful, Zuko. But it’s… not your fault,” Aang tried. “I just wish there was 

“I… I think I know of a place we can go,” Zuko’s eye widened as he thought. “The dragons first passed the knowledge of firebending down to the Sun Warriors, an ancient Fire Nation tribe. They don’t exist anymore, but there are still old ruins. There is a Sun Warrior temple not too far away. Maybe there is some knowledge there that can help us. If my ancestor’s soldiers did not burn it all away,” he spat that last part like it tasted too bitter in his mouth. Sokka understood the sentiment.

“My work here is done,” Toph smirked and flipped a curt wave as she turned it go about the rest of her business. Sokka needed to remember to pay her back later somehow. Though the idea of owing Toph a favor sent chills down his spine.

“We should go right away!” Aang moved toward the main group, no doubt to go get Appa. Zuko turned in that direction but hesitated.

“Are you okay, Zuko?” Sokka asked.

“I think so. I am sorry if that… back during the eclipse… I’m sorry if that was uncomfortable for you. I didn’t mean for it to happen.”

“You just said it. You didn’t know. And now we both kinda know what that feels like so… we don’t have to do it again, right?”

“Yeah. I’ll be more careful.”

“I’m sure I’m equally to blame. This soulmate thing is a two-way path. You are going to have to teach me how to redirect lightning though. Like on my own. Because that is super cool,” Sokka smiled at Zuko, and the prince gave him one of those soft smiles back. For a second, Sokka forgot he still had not forgiven him yet. Forgot that he was still a little mad, a lot insecure. 

“I explained what we’re doing to Katara and everyone, and I grabbed some food and stuff like that. If it’s close hopefully we won’t be gone for more than a day or two.”

Sokka nodded at Aang and waved at Appa trailing behind him. He went to where he had deposited his sword and other weaponry at the side of the courtyard, and Zuko picked up his swords. The night before they had briefly talked about sparring with their swords after firebending practice. Now they were gearing up to go to an old temple to try to find the forgotten secrets of firebending. Man, their lives never really let up from the breakneck pace, huh?

Zuko directed Aang as Appa flew over the Fire Nation landscape. Sokka gazed out over the edge of the saddle, but he did not really see anything. He was too buried in his thoughts. The conversation earlier brought the emotions from Ba Sing Se to the forefront of his mind again. He thought just yesterday that he was… well not  _ over it _ , but to the point where it was not going to be a problem. Clearly his nightmares and the tension spoke otherwise. 

It really boiled down to fear. Insecurity. Sokka was in the constant process of finding his own worth, but that did not mean that the thought of Zuko betraying him again did not terrify him. That the thought of being vulnerable again, really vulnerable, did not make him want to curl up in a ball and hide from the world. He did not know how he would be able to get past it. 

Sokka startled from his thoughts as Appa landed with a thud on the ground. He must have looked surprised because Zuko gave him an odd look. Aang just bounced down from the saddle like he usually did, already taking off toward some buildings not far off. Zuko followed him after another backward glance at Sokka. The watertribesman shrugged and tried to shake the dark feelings.

He was still preoccupied when he felt a sharp tug on the back of his collar. He sputtered but quickly realized that Zuko tugged him back from a bit of spike that had opened before them. Aang stood on the other side, looking a mix of concerned and sheepish. 

“Uh, thanks for the save?” Sokka tried. Zuko looked unamused.

“You need to be more careful. If these traps are still working, we can’t afford to have our heads in the clouds,” he growled out. Sokka tried to not feel defensive about it. 

The trio managed to get all the way to the front of the main temple building without many other mishaps. The solid stone doors were sealed in front of them. Aang tried to pull them open, but they would not budge. He stepped back, and Sokka recognized the position he stood in as an earthbending one. Zuko lashed out and caught Aang’s arm before he could do anything.

“Wait! You don’t know what’s inside, or how fragile it is, or if there’s another trap. We can’t risk it. We need to figure out how to get the door open without too much destruction.”

It made sense. Sokka started looking around before Zuko even finished. He noticed a large red stone above the door. Sokka turned and saw the pillar behind them, and the sun shining through it, forming a hollow circle on the ground.

“I think the mechanism might be tied to the sun somehow. See the pillar’s shadow?” He called out. Zuko turned and walked over. He examined the ground and ran his finger over some of the carvings in the stone pattern.

“It seems that the doors will only open when the sun shines through this pillar. On the solstice.”

“The solstice! We can’t wait until the solstice! I don’t have time! I have to break in with my earthbending,” Aang panicked and moved toward the door, but Sokka caught his arm this time. Something in Zuko’s expression told him the other had a plan.

“What if… what if we hurry the sun along. We can fool the door,” he said as he pulled his dao swords from their sheath. He held the joined blades to the sun ray on the ground and angled the beam. He used the shiny metal as a mirror, and after some fidgeting, the red stone glowed bright in the afternoon light. The doors made a huge echoing noise and swung open. Aang whooped in celebration.

“Nice one, Zuko!” He cheered. Zuko hung his head, and Sokka swore he saw a blush. 

“Yeah, that was smart,” Sokka complimented. He may be feeling all angsty recently, but he felt it was his duty as the “plans guy” to acknowledge a smart move. He was completely unmotivated by the way Zuko was  _ definitely _ blushing now. Not motivated at all. 

Aang led the way into the temple. The air smelled dank and stale, like that door had not opened in more than just a few solstices. Zuko looked around in wonder at the many statues circling the room. They seemed to depict a firebending form with two participants. Sokka stepped up to one of the statues and copied the form just out of curiosity, and he felt the stones beneath his feet give slightly. He looked down and saw the outlines below him. He checked, and each statue had those outlines in the stones before them.

“I think if we do the form, we might unlock something. There seems to be some sort of mechanism in the ground,” Sokka called. Zuko and Aang looked down to see what Sokka was talking about. 

“Would you and Sokka like to do the dance?” Aang asked. Sokka sputtered.

“Oh, I’m not sure I could. I’ve been a bit out of it. I’ll watch you guys do it,” the watertribesman deflected. Zuko gave him a strange look but went to the first statue and stood across from Aang without complaint.

Sokka watched as the two moved around the room in fluid steps. They finished on the far side, and the dance sent a cascade of tremors through the building. A tall pedestal raised behind the finished dancers. A golden, egg-shaped object perched on the new fixture like some sort of prize. Sokka immediately went towards it, reached out.

“Wait, Sokka!” He heard Zuko cry, but it was too late. As soon as his hand brushed that smooth surface, a geyser of green sludge erupted from the base and began filling the room. The stuff was thick and sticky and impossible to pull free from. Sokka knew he was not dumb, but even he had to admit, sometimes… sometimes he was really stupid. 

As the sludge engulfed the trio and pushed them up ever closer to the ceiling, Sokka managed to grab hold of Zuko, who in turn grabbed Aang. They clung to each other and heaved a massive sigh of relief as they reached a grate that would allow them air. The sludge pooled out from the grate slightly, but it seemed to have stopped flowing for the most part. 

“Really, Sokka, you just had to touch the shiny thing?” Zuko’s snark cut through the dim night.

“Excuse me, Mr. Jerkbender. I was trying to see if there was any lost firebending knowledge on it. Why would some sacred artifact be booby trapped like that! I’m sure that thing is ruined!”

“It probably wasn’t even an artifact, just another test. And you failed,” Zuko spat.  _ Man,  _ Sokka thought,  _ when Zuko gets mad, he can really cut people off at the knees _ .

“Calm down, guys. We just have to use our heads. And worst case, Katara will come looking for us.”

“In two days,” Sokka and Zuko monotoned at the exact same time. If Sokka could turn his head, he would have given Zuko an incredulous look.

“Okay, I’m going to pretend that you guys talking in sync isn’t creepy because you’re soulmates,” Aang joked. Sokka did not find it particularly funny. 

“When are you going to start soulbending practice, anyway? I know Zuko’s only been around for a couple days, but you guys need to be ready for the comet, too.”

“Soulbending practice?” Zuko questioned.

“Yeah like… you guys using your joined state. It’s like my Avatar State, but I don’t know if there’s a special name for it. I learned about it from the monks. We were told stories of two airbending soulbenders a long time ago who would go up the mountain, beyond the clouds, and become one soul to bend together. They used their joined power to stop a powerful typhoon by bending the clouds away and saved a whole coast of people.”

“I saw a vision of some earthbenders doing the same sort of thing. But I wouldn’t even know how to begin practicing that,” Sokka mused. “Well, we did do something similar on accident.”

“I’m not sure its the best idea to try to do… that. It doesn’t sound appealing,” Zuko cut in. 

“I mean, it doesn’t count comfy, but we need every advantage we can get to defeat the Fire Nation.”

“I guess,” Zuko sounded less than enthused. Sokka was not too happy about it either. He knew that it was probably something they would need to work on from the moment Zuko joined the group, but he still smarted at the thought of being that vulnerable with him.

“Aang, do you know how those airbenders got to the point where they could practice? I don’t really know how those earthbenders did it either.”

“Oh, uh… yeah. The monks told me.”

“Care to elaborate,” Zuko growled.

“Yeah- um.. Well… The two airbenders practiced bending together and grew… close… Then they were able to enter that state. When they were very… close.”

“You mean in love?” Sokka sighed.

“Uh- well, yeah. The monks told me the women were very much in love when they started being serious bending partners. I don’t know of any soulbenders that weren’t in love. It’s just part of finding your other half.”

“It never seems complicated in the stories,” Zuko said. He did not sound angry or particularly frustrated. Just resigned.

“Well, uh… we’ll see what happens,” Sokka tried. The trio fell into an uncomfortable silence smushed there against the grate. The watertribesman felt the sludge seeming into his  _ everywhere _ , but somehow, in spite of it all, he must have dozed off briefly. 

When Sokka jolted awake, he became aware of several people standing around their little prison. The figures were all dressed very traditionally, with red paint on their faces in a variety of patterns. The one standing directly over the grate had a headpiece that just shouted  _ leader _ , at least in Sokka’s head.

“Get them out,” the leader spoke. His voice was deep and raspy, like the scrape of a poker over coals. 

The grate was yanked from its place by several strong hands. Sokka grimaced as he felt the pull of the now-solidified sludge. The trio were still stuck in the goop, but those several pairs of hands wrapped around them and tore them from the hold. Sokka swore he lost a layer of skin in the process.

“What are you doing here!” The leader shouted it more like an admonition than a legitimate question. Zuko heeded it regardless. He dropped to his knees and made a motion for Aang and Sokka to do the same. 

“My name is Zuko, banished Prince of the Fire Nation, soulmate to Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe,” Zuko motioned toward Sokka, then over to Aang, “This is the avatar. We have come to learn the secret of firebending, as taught to you by the original firebending masters. For too long the Fire Nation has corrupted the teaching of this bending art, and we want to return to the old ways.”

The leader appraised Zuko for a few moments. Sokka watched as the man’s eyes flicked from Zuko’s eyes, to his scar, to Sokka’s face. 

“I believe you, Zhia Zuko. If you can complete the great trial of our tradition, you and your soulmate may approach our great masters. If you succeed, you can teach what you learn to the avatar.”

Sokka could not help but speak up, “Shouldn’t Aang go? He’s the avatar!”

“We know he is the avatar, Zhia Sokka. But this trial must be completed by two. And the lessons our masters would have for the two of you are even more profound than what they could offer the avatar. You will see.”

He spoke with an air of finality. Sokka wanted to puke. Just a little bit.

“The sun is at its highest peak! The two soulbenders must take from the sacred flame and present an offering to our masters. Avatar, you may accompany us on this trial, but you may not interfere.”

“But-“ Aang tried, but the look he received from the Sun Warrior Chieftain made him shrink back.

“Zhia Zuko, Zhia Sokka, follow me,” the leader motioned with a grand sweep of his hand. The rest of the entourage surrounded the trio and walked with them deeper into the ruins. A temple at the center held a massive flame, several firebenders working to keep it lit and well-maintained. The leader seemed to start speaking to the caretakers in a tongue not familiar to Sokka. The way they responded, by glancing to Zuko, Sokka, and Aang, it looked like they were being brought up to speed. Sokka leant over to Zuko and Aang.

“So… are we all cool with this?”

“We have to be. It’s the only way to learn the secret of firebending,” Zuko’s voice was laced with determination. 

“Okay… I guess you’re right. But why just us? And why are they calling us ‘zhia?’” 

“Oh, I know that one! When I was in the Fire Nation as a kid, the stories they told about firebending soulmates always referred to the two soulbenders using the title Zhia.”

“Another thing my father and grandfather managed to rip from our culture,” Zuko spat. Aang’s naturally cheerful expression faltered slightly. Sokka found himself placing a comforting hand on Zuko’s shoulder. He did not yank it back for fear of seeming awkward, but he admonished the rebellious appendage.  _ Bad hand! _

“Why does the Fire Nation have a special honorific for soulbenders, though? None of the other nations do.”

“Well, dragons mate for life, so… maybe its special because of that? Since dragons are- used to be so important to the Fire Nation,” Aang’s face fell even more. Sokka winced. He felt Zuko tense beneath his hand, but the prince said nothing more. A few moments later, the Sun Warrior leader motioned Zuko and Sokka forward.

“Soulbenders, use your firebending to take a portion of the sacred flame and maintain it. Too little power, and the flame will die. Too much, and the flame will go beyond your control. You must carry it in perfect balance.”

Sokka looked over at Zuko and was surprised to see the other’s eyes already focused on him. For the first time, Sokka really took in his eyes, the amber and the blue. A mirror image of his own. The both nodded and reached for the flame.

“What are you doing?” The leader exclaimed, and Sokka thought his heart would emerge from his throat. 

“What?” He choked out, presumably around his heart still trying to find its way back to his chest. Zuko looked similarly confused.

“You must carry the flame together!” The warrior barked.

“How are we supposed to do that? Fire is too temperamental of an element to be handled by two people at once,” Zuko grumbled. 

“How do you think the soulbenders before you managed to complete this trial? How do you imagine soulbenders practice their bending? Separately and apart from each other? No! This is not the way!”

“Zuko, we… we have to try. I’ll follow your lead. You have more experience in this department,” Sokka tried to keep his voice calm and steady, but he sounded like he was faking it. Which he was. 

“Fine. We- We probably need to hold our hands together,” Zuko lifted his left hand, palm up. “Place your hand facing up on mine. Wind our fingers together the best you can… yeah that will do. Focus on holding the center of the flame, and I will hold the edges. We should be able to maintain our sections this way.”

Sokka nodded but frowned at the weird position of their hands. The Sun Warrior seemed less than impressed with the strategy. Something in the back of Sokka’s head told him this was not what the older man meant when he said they would need to carry it together. To bend together. It would have to do.

The watertribesman reached into his core and found the warmth- the chi inside of him. He leant forward with Zuko and felt a tug from the sacred flame. It seemed to be breathing. It was strangely comforting. Sokka had not realized he closed his eyes until he was being pulled back by his hand.

In their strangely held hands was a small flicker of the sacred flame. Zuko nudged Sokka with his elbow, and Sokka quickly realized he needed to up the power a bit or the flame would go out. The fire flared alarmingly, but a wince from Zuko and he had it under control. This would be a long walk to wherever they were going next. 

The Sun Warriors led the soulbenders to a large stone structure stretched between the mouths of two caves. The stone steps led to a great height, and the walls of the mountains around them made the pair feel small. Sokka was too focused on keeping the flame lit to glance back, but he could picture Aang’s awestruck face. The leader stopped at the base of the steps. The rest of the tribe fanned out around the space and began to play an intense rhythm with their drums that was soon joined by chanting in a language Sokka did not know. Zuko sent a small glance in Sokka’s direction, and the watertribesman nodded. They began their ascent.

The area between the caves opened into a great open space of air, so the wind corridor made by the natural structures whipped at the men and their flame as they climbed. 

“It’s going to go out!” Sokka exclaimed. He sent more energy to the flame, and it flared up dangerously. 

“It won’t go out! You need to calm down!” Zuko chided. He sounded just as nervous as Sokka was, but he hid it better.

By the time Sokka thought his nerves were completely frayed, they crested the peak of the stairs onto the bridge between the caverns. Zuko moved their hands out in front of them toward the open air and bowed his head. Sokka mimicked the posture and hoped that this is what the masters would want.

A sudden gust of wind and immense swooping sound sent Sokka reeling backwards, saved from falling down the stairs by his now stony grip on Zuko’s wrist.  _ Wait… If I’m holding his wrist…? _

Sokka’s eyes widened in horror when he realized the flame they carried had vanished into the air. For a split second he worried Zuko would blame him, but Zuko looked as startled as Sokka. He turned his gaze to follow that of his soulmate and nearly fell backwards again as he craned his neck in awe.

Around them swirled the forms of two dragons. Two  _ living  _ dragons. 

“We dropped the fire! Are they going to eat us?” Sokka found himself saying. 

“If they were going to eat us for that, they would have already…” Zuko trailed off. He watched the flying reptiles for a few more long seconds before his eyes lit up.

“I think we are supposed to dance with them!” He exclaimed. Sokka immediately remembered the Dragon’s Dance form Zuko and Aang performed earlier.

“How do you know that?” He asked.

“I just feel it. It seems right. Do you remember the steps?”

“Uh… I’m more of a kinetic learner… I’m not sure I’ll remember from having just watch you and Aang once. And even though he haven’t been eaten yet, we probably still don’t have enough time for you to teach me,” panic welled up in the watertribesman’s chest.

“Sokka, Sokka, don’t panic!”

_ Oh no, Zuko must feel it. _

“Sokka, maybe we can do what we did with the lightning again! Do you trust me?”

The question snapped Sokka’s attention to the way Zuko had moved Sokka’s grip on his wrist to his hand. He was holding both of Sokka’s hands. His mismatched eyes shone with sincerity.

“I don’t know!” Sokka answered honestly. He wanted to. He felt the universe telling him to. But he was like Katara. Stubborn in a lot of ways he did not have conscious control over. 

“What can I do to help you trust me? I can’t fix anything if you don’t tell me what to fix!”

“It doesn’t work like that, Zuko! I need time!”

“We don’t have time!”

“I know! I just said that!”

Zuko growled in frustration and closed his eyes. He had an intensely focused expression on his face. Sokka almost asked him what he was doing when Sokka felt his entire being being yanked from his body. The earth tilted, and he slammed back into it at an angle. 

Sokka groaned and struggled to his feet. He looked around and recognized a familiar hill and plain before him. Just a little bit away was the flowering jasmine plant from his last visit. He also spotted a similarly grumbling Zuko looking around in a sort of bemused wonder.

“What did you do?” Sokka nearly yelled. This was  _ not  _ the time for spirit world shenanigans.

“I don’t know! I didn’t know what to do. I figured our best chance was talking to someone who might.”

“I am very proud of you, Zuko,” a familiar voice carried on the wind. Both soulbenders whipped their heads around to stare at the kind spirit. It perched at the crest of the hill, idly stroking its daughter plant with its own flowering branches. “This is your first time initiating travel to my world. It feels as though I have another child finally coming home.”

“I didn’t do it for you,” Zuko’s voice was not as harsh it would once have been, but there was still a bite there.

“I know, child. Believe it or not, I know everything is not always about me, about my wants or wishes. I may have a hand in your destiny, but it certainly does not revolve around me. That being said, I deeply appreciate you seeking my guidance, especially at such a pivotal moment.”

Zuko shifted slightly on his feet, but his shoulders dropped a little bit of stiffness. Sokka still felt like a bowstring, ready to snap. 

“I haven’t been able to have a decent conversation with the two of you; this is nice,” the kind spirit’s features twisted into a grin, somehow comforting despite its uncanniness.

“We don’t really have time though. We are about to be eaten by two giant flying lizards, which is  _ not _ how I pictured going,” Sokka whined. 

“Don’t worry about time. I’ve suspended it like the last.” 

Sokka’s eyes widened, “Oh, so Zuko has time to teach me the Dancing Dragons form!”

“Not exactly,” the kind spirit moved from its kneeling position and gently moved toward the soulbenders. “Sit,” it commanded. The two complied.

“There is someone I want you to meet, though it is not quite time,” the kind spirit motioned out from the group, and the pair turned their heads. Sokka almost jumped into the next spirit world when he saw the figure of a tall, broad man standing not far from them. He wore the older style of Fire Nation uniforms Sokka recognized from the North Pole. His face was bent entirely toward the ground, and while his hair was partially in a topknot, the rest fell in a curtain around his face to hide it from view. Besides that, there was also a sort of haze around him, like he was not quite in the same world was Sokka.

“That’s the man we chased when we were searching for the avatar. Is it really…?” Zuko’s question trailed off. The man’s presence was enough of an answer.

“When the two of you are ready to fully enter the Soulbending State, you will meet him. He is still not fully manifested. But he is much more tangible here in the spirit world than he even was when you both saw him for the first time.”

“Why are you even talking about him now, then?” Zuko asked, frustrated.

“Because, young one, as soulmates grow closer, they grow in power. You are already more powerful than you know. You have started to share memories. It is fairly simple for soulbenders to be able to tap into their counterparts’ past experiences. It allows for greater collaboration.”

“If you’re talking about the lightning thing, Zuko was just controlling my body,” the sentence still felt insane on Sokka’s tongue.

“That is not how it works. It might have felt that way because your connection is so underdeveloped, but in reality, you were experiencing the muscle memory of Zuko’s body. Soulbenders are not powerful because they give up their autonomy. It seems like one person in two bodies because they can reap each reap the benefit of two lives of training as if both were their own. Their bond eventually grows so strong that their previous life becomes available to them as well. Two distinct people, three lives, three wells of knowledge and power to draw from.”

“Wait, so… so we don’t lose who we are? Even in the Soulbending State or whatever?” Sokka asked.

“No, Sokka. I won’t lie and say that there won’t be times in the midst of battle that the stream of thoughts and experiences and the live connection with Zuko might muddle yourself of individuality, but there will never be a time where you are not you. Not even when your past self is there to help you.”

Sokka took it all in. His struggle made so much more sense when the kind spirit spoke to the concern he was not even consciously aware of. From the beginning, he had been afraid of losing himself to his destiny, to this whole soulbender business. He glanced at Zuko. The prince seemed equally absorbed in his thoughts. Sokka felt substantially less concerned in light of this information. It was not that he did not trust Zuko, though that was still on the mend. It was just that the still had repressed anxiety about his destiny that was all brought to the surface by recent events. 

“You mentioned a live connection,” Zuko’s gruff voice eventually cut through the contemplative atmosphere. Sokka had not even noticed that part.

“Oh, how perceptive, Zuko. I’m afraid I’m giving too much away too soon. I do not want to overwhelm you with the future. I’ll just say that you don’t need to worry about mind reading. The connection is normally much more purposeful.”

Sokka nearly choked, but he held his composure. Between sharing memories and potentially sharing  _ thoughts _ this was all a bit much. The kind spirit was right about it being overwhelming. The watertribesman glanced back at the Fire Nation man. His form was no clearer or easier to identify, but something about him seemed familiar…

Zuko coughed and distracted Sokka from his thoughts.

“So, all this is basically just to say that Sokka should be able to just use my memories of the form to perform it for the dragon, right?”

“Yes, Zuko. That is ‘basically’ what this is.”

“Shouldn’t I just teach him while we are here? Just in case?”

“I’m afraid the dragons would know about such things. I am quite familiar with these particular creatures, and they hold the bond between soulmates very dear. Dragons mate for life, and when your lifetime is millennia, that is quite something. Since the beginning, dragons have offered themselves as masters for firebending soulbenders.”

“So what they really want as an offering,” Sokka chimed in as his thoughts caught up, “is for Zuko and I to demonstrate our bond as soulbenders.”

“It would seem so. It has not always been this way, but I am sure that the long time since the last soulbenders as well as the caution that comes from being the last of their kind has made my friends more demanding of their potential students.”

“Are you okay with that, Sokka?” Zuko asked. Sokka met his eyes. The prince looked so painfully genuine in his concern. The watertribesman’s heart melted a little. 

“Yeah, let’s do it. We aren’t some scared chicken-pigs. I’m ready to try it,” Sokka shot Zuko what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Reservations would probably still cloud Sokka for a long time, but he could push through them. The kind spirit had a way of bolstering his resolve.

“Then we will do it. Together,” Zuko gave his small smile back to Sokka.

“Wonderful,” the kind spirit spoke. “I’ll guide you back to your bodies. It will help the return be less jarring. Are you ready?”

Zuko reached for Sokka’s hands. Sokka allowed Zuko to hold them. He turned his wrists slightly to take hold of Zuko’s own. With a gentle scrape of its branches across their shoulders, the kind spirit sent the soulbenders spinning back into their physical forms. As promised, the return barely shook the two men. They did have to catch themselves slightly, but otherwise, they felt fine. 

Sokka released Zuko and moved to stand fully beside him. They looked out at the great open space of air. 

“How do we do this?” Zuko asked. His voice was far more uncertain than his expression would have given away.

“Um… just start moving. I’ll- I’ll reach out.”

Zuko nodded. He breathed in deeply, and Sokka followed along with him. The swirling wind from the rushing dragons faded from his senses as he focused in on that warmth inside of him, his chi. He thought back to the old temple. He remembered vaguely the way Zuko’s body moved in the dance, but with surprising ease, Sokka found himself moving as Zuko in his memories. He felt his limbs mirror present-Zuko by copying those motions of the past-Zuko. The pull of the memory felt just like before, with the lightning. But it was so much less terrifying because Sokka knew what was happening. He was in control.

Before Sokka could fully process, the memory ended. His arms were stretched out past his head toward Zuko’s outstretched arms. They did it!

The dragons seemed to approve of their offering, because soon the two were surrounded by a swirl of colorful fire. Zuko’s eyes lit up with understanding. Sokka just thought he would cry at the beauty. 

“It’s energy, Sokka. It’s life.” Zuko’s voice was full of so much awe. The colors of the fire reflected off Zuko’s eyes. They seemed to glow with them. That sight took Sokka’s breath away.

“It’s beautiful, Zuko.”  _ You’re beautiful. _

“They are.” 

The moments between the dragons and telling Aang and loading up onto Appa all blended into one whirlpool of  _ feelings _ . La, when had Sokka fully reverted back into an emotional teenager? Okay, he was still an emotional teenager, but when had his emotions started flipping back and forth so quickly? Okay they had always been like that but- Oh, it is no use. 

Aang took the reins as Appa guided them back to the Western Air temple. Sokka stretched out in the saddle, and Zuko sat just a short distance away with his knees pulled into his chest.

“Are- Are we okay, Sokka? I know there was a lot of… a lot of  _ things _ and I just… I want us to be okay. Even if it's not good yet, I want it to be okay,” Zuko floundered. Sokka could not help but find it endearing.

“We’re okay. The rest… I’m getting there. We’ll get there.”

“Okay. Good. Right, um. Let me know if there is anything I can do.”

A sudden, terrible, amazing, awful idea sprang into Sokka’s head.

“Hey, I have a way you can help. You have a lot of Fire Nation military knowledge, right? If you were Ozai and captured a bunch of prisoners of war, where would you lock them up?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sings* It's my Spirit World I can make the rules up if I want to... exposition if I want to...
> 
> Thanks for catching up with my fic! Love you!


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